Persona DxD: Revelations
by Vergil Creiger
Summary: Don't get too excited. I'm notoriously stupid. So said Issei Hyoudou about thirty seconds before getting his own Persona. Just a project of mine to help get over my writers block
1. Issei has a Dream

That morning in history class, Issei heard a quote from an old chinese scholar. It went something like this.

Once I dreamt I was a butterfly. I forgot myself and knew only my happiness as a butterfly. Soon, I awoke, and I was myself again. Did I dream that I was a butterfly? Or do I now dream that I'm a man? Yet there is a distinction between myself and the butterfly. This is a transformation of the physical.

For a fair amount of time afterwards, Issei would blame this quote for the following dream.

The start of the dream was how Issei imagined a bad trip must look like. He was following a brightly glowing butterfly down a massive spiralling staircase, with what looked like giant gears and skyscrapers flashing past in the background. The scene was made all the more surreal by the flickering motes of light that were constantly streaming past.

It would have been very pretty if it didn't take so long to reach the bottom. By the time it ended he was ready to pass out from boredom, which was impressive considering he was still asleep.

Eventually he found himself at a circular platform in front of a man in a white suit. Issei spared a glance at the grecian columns that boxed them in before giving the man a needlessly friendly wave, to which he responded with a needlessly fancy bow. The courtly kind, as if asking him for a dance. You know the one.

Suddenly, Issei remembered the grecian columns and how they made the platform resemble a ye olde ballroom. Maybe he really was asking for a dance. Could Issei say no?

The man's coat was just long enough to make it hard to say if it was either debonair formal wear or just a fancy trench coat. Beneath it he wore a black dress shirt with a black tie, and on his lower half he wore black dress shoes and white trousers. He had black hair was tied back in an elegant ponytail, and when he righted himself Issei could see he was wearing a mask. It was white, deadpan, and half of it was inked with half a black butterfly. The eyes were completely white and should have been impossible to see through, but since this was obviously a dream, Issei was willing to let it slide.

Oh shit, was this a masquerade ball?

"Was I supposed to bring a mask?" Issei wondered aloud.

This seemed to throw the man off for a moment. "Were you supposed to… Oh no. No, you weren't."

"Good," sighed Issei. "That would have been embarrassing."

The man cleared his throat awkwardly. Everything he said came out very soft spoken, so it sounded weird. "At any rate, I bid you welcome. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Same."

"I am Philemon, a dweller between consciousness, and-"

"How do you spell that?"

The man paused. "Excuse me?"

"Your name," said Issei helpfully. "How do you spell it?"

"I don't… Why does it matter?"

"How can say it if I can't even spell it?" Issei blinked as if in epiphany. "Can I call you Phil?"

The imaginary man dipped his head and sighed. "Yes. Yes, you may."

"Cool." Idly, Issei began to wonder if he could conjure a chair if he concentrated hard enough.

"I would like to ask of you a simple test," continued Philemon valiantly. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Issei," said Issei. The masked man paused expectantly, but Issei was starting to feel sorry for him and stayed silent.

"Splendid," the man sighed in relief. "There are few capable of recalling their identity while in this domain."

"I know," nodded Issei. "Lucid dreams aren't for everyone."

"What do you-" The man paused. "Where did that chair come from?"

"It's a dream," said Issei, leaning back in his armchair and propping his feet on a stool that hadn't been there when he started talking. "In a certain sense, it was always here."

Philemon sighed again, this time with a distinct tone of defeat, and the platform was replaced by a dark study lined with bookcases. The walls were made of pleasantly smelling wood, the fireplace burned merrily and a fluffy rug sat between Issei and a second armchair. Philemon sank into it gracefully, a steaming cup of coffee appearing in his hands.

"Can I have a hot chocolate?" Issei's mug came with its own Starbucks napkin, which he thought was a nice detail. "Awesome."

Philemon somehow took a sip through his mask, which Issei ignored because it was a dream. "It seems you pass that test," he acknowledged, ignoring the lethargic fist pump from Issei. "But tell me this…"

He paused, first while Issei chugged his drinking chocolate and then while he relaxed and savored it.

"Are you aware of the many and varied selves you harbor within you?" He could tell by the look on Issei's face that he had his interest. "The self suffused with divine love. The self capable of demonic cruelty."

"Like split personalities?" Issei was now frowning thoughtfully. "Sorry, Phil, but the only voice in my head is you."

"That's not quite what I meant," Philemon leaned back into his chair, a bit more comfortable on familiar ground. "Think of them more as the individual aspects of your personality that come together to form the greater you."

Issei hummed as took another sip. "Like emotions?"

"More like urges. Wants, needs, desires, fears, scars, grudges and grievances that form your attachment to the world around you. The link between the inner self and what lies beyond it."

"The boundary between consciousness and unconsciousness," quoted Issei, earning a toast from Philemon.

"You've been listening."

"Don't get too excited. I'm notoriously stupid."

He got the sense the man was smiling behind his mask. "People live by wearing different masks. Your current self may be only one of those innumerable masks. You, though, have a very firm grip on your identity. I respect your strong will."

"Thanks. You're pretty cool too."

This time Philemon actually chuckled a little. He held out one hand, and a floating red gauntlet adorned with green jewels began floating over his palm. "I grant you this power, Persona. It is the power to summon the selves within you. The gods and the demons you harbor."

"Which one are you?" asked Issei curiously. Philemon quite pointedly didn't answer.

"The time is soon when you will need this power. Now you must return to your proper time and place."

"Are you seriously just going to kick me out of my own dream without answering my question?"

"Yes."

The floorboards opened up, and Issei and his armchair and his hot chocolate fell screaming into the abyss, falling past skyscrapers and gears and clouds and teddy bears and rainbows until-

"How does he even see through that thi- THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED!"

Issei lurched to his feet, sending his desk clattering across the floor. The classroom was empty and eerily quiet. The light shining through the window was a disquieting grey that didn't quite match the time, and the ticking of the clock sounded bizarrely and unsettlingly loud.

"...Did they go home without waking me?" Issei's eye twitched as he worked himself into a righteous indignation. "Did those jerks seriously go home without waking me?"

Cursing to himself, Issei grabbed his things and stomped out of the room. A few seconds after he left, a good looking male student from another class ran past the window. Before he could get too far the earth exploded in front of him, the impact caused by an enormous creature jumping off the roof.

The monster was large enough that he only came up to its knees. It was naked except for a dirty loincloth, and had green skin and bushy red hair. Its teeth and claws were long and sharp, and two horns sprouted from its forehead. Its eyes were a blank white, and it clutched a huge meat cleaver in one hand.

The student did not back down.

"King Arthur!" he barked.

A shimmering figure appeared behind him, resembling a young man of twenty. On his chest he wore a shining breastplate that extended down to cover his hips. A blue cape fell to his mid back and rose in a collar past his cheekbones. His arms were covered in baggy sleeves beneath which were burnished gauntlets, whilst the armor extending down his legs was hidden by long blue strips of cloth.

He was almost ethereally beautiful, his blond hair and green eyes seeming like someone had taken the words 'knight in shining armor' from the daydreams of every teenage girl ever and applied them to his face. In his hand was a golden sword, which shone like the sun as he swung it toward the monster's side.

The creature tried to block with its weapon, but the knight's sword cut through the cleaver like paper. The ogre screamed as the knight severed its legs with the same swing, falling with a crash at his feet. Foul smelling green blood splattered across the pavement, noxious clouds of steam billowing up in sewage scented clouds.

The male student didn't react.

He was getting used to it.

With one last swing the knight clove off the creature's head, which disintegrated into dust in mid air. The body slumped to the ground and dissolved into ash, while the shed blood began to evaporate until the only sign of its presence was the crater from when it landed. The knight disappeared as the student took off at a run.

Naturally, Issei saw none of this, as he was too busy wandering down empty hallways and wondering why he had a craving for hot chocolate.

"Where is everyone?" he grumbled. "The hell happened while I was asleep?"


	2. Issei meets a Dragon

The hallways began to echo with barked orders. Some people were shouting, some were crying and some were screaming. Several classrooms had been cleared of desks in order to make room for injured students to lie on the floor. Some were bruised, some were gashed. Some were missing limbs and others were missing parts of their bodies. The sheets covering them were drenched with blood, which by now was seeping onto the floor. Many were moaning or screaming, the volume depending on their injury. Others were completely silent, and these people had pieces of cloth placed respectfully over their faces.

Around the room, many other students were sobbing on the floor, or shouting at each other, or trying to maintain order. One extremely beautiful student with hair a shocking shade of red was shouting orders, directing those with composure to help the wounded. Her hair was the only reason Issei noticed her, as he was in the middle of a rousing game of Tetris.

"Frigging T blocks!" he snarled, stabbing angrily at the screen of his phone. At the last minute he backtracked and stuck his head inside the classroom. "Woah. What happened here?"

"You?" gasped the redhead, who recognised him as an acquaintance of one of her clubmates. "Where have you been?"

"Asleep," he shrugged. "Was there an accident?"

"Haven't you noticed?" she snarled, the stress making her snappish. "The school has been overrun by monsters!"

Issei gave her a look. "Monsters?"

She paused a moment to reflect on how that sounded. "Look, I know how this must-"

"Monsters aren't real."

"They are! They're real and running around killing everyone and the only ones who can fight them are the ones with Persona!" She was panting when she finished. It was unfair, but she had used him as an outlet for some of her panic

"Look, Rias…" he paused. "Your name was Rias, right?" She nodded, his relaxed tone helping calm her down. "I'm not sure what went on while I was asleep, but you need to take a deep breath and-" He cut himself off when caught on to what she just said. "Did you say Persona?"

"Yes!" nodded Rias, in sudden enthusiasm. "They're strange creatures some of us can conjure up to fight the monsters!"

Issei was giving her a look again. "...Really?"

"Really!"

"As in, you know, magic?"

"Yes! Magic!" She seemed relieved that he was catching on so quick.

"Magic isn't real."

"Yes it is!"

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is!" screamed Rias, actually stamping one foot on the floor in frustration.

"Oh yeah?" said Issei challengingly. "Prove it."

Rias just glared. "Gremory!"

With a shimmer of light a beautiful woman appeared out of nowhere. She was wearing silken robes and had hair the same color as Rias. She was also, oddly enough, riding an enormous camel. A few people screamed and backed away in fright.

"Issei Hyoudou, meet my Persona!" grinned Rias victoriously. "This is Gremory, one of the seventy two demons in service to King Solomon!"

"Hey," winked Issei saucily. "How you doin'?" Gremory hid her mouth behind her hand, giggling demurely.

"What?" blurted Rias. She visibly deflated. "What did you just say?"

"I was hitting on her," said Issei helpfully. "I mean, have you seen her? And I thought you were hot!"

"That's not the point!" barked Rias, the offhand compliment causing her to blush despite herself. "She appeared out of nowhere! Does that surprise you at all?"

"No," said Issei bluntly. "People do that in Vegas all the time. It's hardly the proof of God."

"Except it kind of is," said Gremory, with a voice like an angel's harp and breath like a gentle desert wind. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to listen. Issei seemed particularly impressed.

"That was the sexiest thing I've ever heard."

"Stop it!"

The door opened with a clatter, and everyone seemed to tense reflexively. In came another girl almost as attractive as Rias, her long dark hair tied in a ponytail. Beside her walked a shorter girl with hair that glittered like silver. "Rias?" blinked the taller girl. "Is everything alright?"

"Akeno!" gasped Rias, her shoulders collapsing with relief. She rushed forward and pulled the other girl into a hug. "Are you okay?"

"We're fine. Just a few weaker monsters, that's all." She glanced over her shoulder at Issei. "Is that Asia's foster brother?"

"Hey," he waved. "How's it going?"

"Oh, right!" Rias suddenly seemed to remember what they were arguing about. "He doesn't believe the monsters are real!"

"Well, in all fairness…"

"So can you show him your Persona?"

Akeno rolled her eyes. "Fine."

The air behind her began to crackle with electricity, until a bulky form appeared behind her. He was wearing heavy armor and a green cloak, which hung down his left side and covered his arm. His face was aged and weatherbeaten, with scraggly black hair and an equally scraggly beard. Twelve black wings sprouted from between his shoulders.

"This is Baraqiel," Akeno introduced. "One of the twenty leaders of the fallen angels mentioned in the Book of Enoch."

"A muscly old guy with a beard?" Issei clarified. "That's your inner self?"

"No," admitted Akeno, pulling a riding crop out of her skirt pocket. "This is my inner self."

She smacked the fallen angel across the face, sending him crashing to the floor. Akeno began using the crop to beat him repeatedly across the head, kicking him in the balls whenever her arm got tired.

"Yes mistress!" screamed Baraqiel. "Punish me! I've been bad!"

"Squeal, pig! Squeal!" Akeno erupted into insane laughter. Rias rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly.

"I did not need to see this," said Gremory.

"I did," said Issei.

Rias turned to the shorter girl, trying very hard to ignore what her best friend was doing only a few feet away. "Koneko?" she whispered plaintively. "Please be sane."

The silver haired girl patted her on the arm consolingly before holding her hands in front of her. In a puff of smoke a fluffy white cat appeared in her arms, two long tails swishing behind it. "...This is Nekomata," she murmured quietly. "...From Japanese folklore."

"D'aww," squealed Issei. "It's adorable!"

Koneko immediately and visibly warmed up to him. "...Want to pet him?"

"Fuck yeah I do!" Issei began to scratch the cat under its chin, and soon the only thing louder than its purr was Baraqiel's frantic pleas for greater punishment. "He's so kyute!"

"This should be enough," grinned Rias victoriously. "Even you have to admit there's no way that second tail is fake."

"So?" shrugged Issei. "Goats have been born with two heads before now. A cat with two tails isn't much of a stretch."

For a moment, Rias was genuinely lost for words. "I… You… That's… I don't… That cat is not a mutant!"

"You shouldn't throw that word around," said Issei disapprovingly. "I would've thought you of all people would understand, considering your and Koneko's hair colour."

"...Did you just call me a mutant?"

"It's better than calling you ginger."

She almost punched him.

Almost.

A good looking male student about Issei's age burst through the door, panting and out of breath. "Hey guys," he gasped. "Sorry I'm late. Ran into a-"

"Your name was Kiba, right?" Issei interrupted.

The other boy blinked in temporary confusion. "Yes?"

"What's your Persona?"

"King Arthur."

"Hah," snorted Issei. "Bet you he has blonde hair."

As if on cue the knight phased into being, sword now sheathed at his hip.

"Called it."

"Hang on," said Rias suddenly. "You mentioned to Akeno about Persona being inner selves. None of us mentioned that."

"Well yeah," shrugged Issei. "Phil mentioned it."

"Phil?" Her eyes lit up in recognition. "You mean Philemon? The man in white?"

"Yeah."

"We all dreamed about him! It's how we got our Persona!"

"...At the same time?"

"After being struck by lightning, yes!"

"I wasn't struck by lightning."

"You were asleep."

"Surely if I were struck by lightning I would have woken up."

"No, I mean you didn't need to be struck by lightning. You were already asleep, so you skipped a step and went straight to the dream."

"Alright, I had the Phil dream, I'll give you that," Issei rolled his eyes as Rias hooted victoriously. "But that hardly proves that magic is real. I could have just as easily been hypnotised."

By now, Akeno had tired herself out enough that she had given up and tuned back into the conversation. "Hypnotised?"

"Yeah, like with Derren Brown. Wait, is that what this is? Was I hypnotised by Derren Brown? Is this a Derren Brown prank? Was Phil actually Derren Brown in cosplay? Am I on TV?" He began to wave excitedly at the window. "Hi kids! Don't do drugs!"

"Okay," said Kiba. "I think I've caught up now."

"That's moronic," Despite her best efforts, Rias was beginning to see the funny side of Issei's constant skepticism. "Let's just go outside and then you'll see that-"

"Wait," said Issei. "The setting was that the school is being attacked by monsters, right?"

"We're not on TV. There is no setting."

"And the only thing that can fight them is a bunch of mythological all stars called Persona, right?"

"A Nekomata is hardly a mythological all star," said Baraqiel. Koneko shot him a hurt look, and Akeno kicked him to the floor in response.

"Arthur!" The knight started in surprise when Issei addressed him. "You're a holy knight, right?"

"Well, I'm actually a king," he corrected politely. "But yes, pretty much."

Issei grinned. "Do you know any healing magic?"

"I have a magical sheath called Avalon that can heal even the recently dead," responded Arthur dutifully. "Will that do?"

Kiba blinked. "Wait, you do?"

"Yes."

"And you had it the entire time?"

"Of course. You've seen me wearing it."

"Alright then!" cheered Issei. "We've got a bunch of teen actors lying on the floor covered in ketchup! Go ahead and heal them!"

Arthur looked to Kiba for permission, getting a strained nod in return. He detached his sword from his hip, the sheath dissolving into white light. The moans of the injured began to die down as their wounds began to heal, sitting up and staring at their restored limbs. The students with covered faces began to jolt awake and gasp for air, and by the time the holy light had dissipated the room was filled with laughing and crying and people hugging each other.

One pretty younger student sidled up to them. "Kiba?"

He blinked away from the merrymaking and tried to look like he noticed her. "Yes?"

She giggled bashfully. "I'd just like to thank you for saving-"

She was abruptly pushed out the way by another girl. "I want to thank you too!"

Before long they were all but elbowing one another out the way for their turn.

"Thank you!"

"Thank you so much!"

"You saved my brother!"

"You saved my life!"

"I love you!"

"Marry me!"

"HAVE MY BABIES!"

"Bastard," muttered Issei enviously.

"How did you know he could do that?" demanded Rias.

"I guessed," said Issei, giving her a look. "If you'd ever played a video game before you would have too."

Rias took a very deep breath, fists shaking. "Alright. Fine. Fine! But when we go outside and you see what's out there, you WILL admit that it's real."

Again, Issei gave her that smug, provocative smirk. "Challenge accepted."

The group began marching toward the front entrance, the rest of the students trailing after them. They had been listening to the argument for a while, and found it entertaining enough that they were making bets on how Issei would react to staring a monster in the face. Issei took the lead when the exit was in sight, dramatically flinging the doors wide open.

The front yard was overrun by bizarre creatures. Green ogres similar to the one killed by Kiba roamed the grounds. Red variants with huge spiked clubs and blue variants with gourds of booze milled alongside them, while what appeared to be zombies of various ages waddled about their ankles and were occasionally squished underfoot. Odd imps with strange, protruding teeth sat in the trees, on the walls, and on the shoulders of the multi colored ogres, chewing on fruit, branches, stones and unidentified clumps of meat.

As one, they turned to stare at the crowd of students.

The crowd of students turned to stare at Rias and the other Persona users.

Rias and the other Persona users turned to stare Issei.

Issei just stood there and stared at the monsters.

There was a very long, very awkward pause.

Eventually, Issei gave Rias an expectant pat on the shoulder. "Well, go on then."

This threw her for a moment. "What?"

"You're the ones with the trained anime stunt doubles. You take care of this. That was the setting, right?"

"We're not on TV! There is no setting!"

Issei chose a new target. "Kiba."

"Please don't bring me into this."

"Surely you, as a testosterone fuelled teenage boy, would be willing to-" Issei cut himself off, gasped dramatically and pointed at the creatures. "Holy shit they're attacking!"

Before he could stop himself, Kiba was already in motion. "Arthur!"

The holy knight rushed forward, three ogres torn apart with a single swing. His golden sword moved so fast it was only a yellow line ripping the monsters apart. As they began to crowd around him a bolt of lightning fell out of the clear sky, striking the thick of the pack and sending them flying in a massive explosion.

"I do not fear pain!" roared Baraqiel. He floated with his wings spread as the air around him crackled with electricity. "I relish it!"

Gremory blew a kiss at the mob. Many of the ogres froze with expressions of rapture as Arthur and Baraqiel continued to decimate their number, while a few of the imps straight up fell out of the sky in blissful stupefaction. Every few seconds an ogre or a zombie or several would hit the dirt, as the two tailed cat darted through their ankles and ripped off their legs.

Issei leaned down so he was on level with Koneko's ear. "You have the best Persona ever."

She graced him with a rare smile. "I do, don't I?"

"Everyone fall back!" shouted Rias. Issei shot her a baffled look.

"Why? It was just getting good!" His eyes widened in realisation. "Oh, are you running out of special effects? Don't worry, I understand."

"There are no special effects!" Rias barked. "Look, do you remember the dream we all had?"

"The Phil dream, yes."

"Well, everyone that had that dream can summon a Persona. Which means you can too."

Issei began to grin. "So you want me to finish them off?"

"Yes. But be careful, you might not manage it on your first-" She had to stop there, because he'd already wandered off.

"I summon you in the name of your lord and master, Derren Brown! From the darkest depths of-"

"Is this really alright?" wondered Kiba. "He might get himself hurt. Or worse."

"We'll save him if it gets dangerous," said Rias. "We just need to make him understand that this is real. If he keeps running around thinking this is some elaborate reality show then all that'll achieve is him getting himself killed."

"-Flying Spaghetti Monster!" Issei appeared to be reaching the climax of whatever he was doing. "Come forth! Persona!"

The sky darkened with ominous black clouds. There was a rumble of thunder, and the wind began to blow in odd shapes around Issei's dorky pose.

"You can't be serious," whispered Rias. "There's no way that actually-"

 **[I am thou.]**

A phantom image of a red gauntlet adorned with green jewels began to appear over his left hand, which he had pointed at the sky Kamina style towards the end of his insane rant.

 **[Thou art I.]**

The gauntlet disappeared, but the large gem on the back of his hand remained. It began to glow with an almost painful brightness, floating a few metres above his head and separating into a pair of incandescent green eyes.

 **[From the sea of thy soul, I cometh.]**

Wind, lightning, and an oppressive sense of enormity hit the courtyard like a hammer. The monsters cowered back while the onlookers hid behind the four Persona. Around the floating eyes appeared a head, then a neck, then a body, then a colossal pair of wings. The immense, undulating form began to flicker in and out of visibility like a faulty light bulb, the atmospheric disturbance increasing as it pushed ever closer to reality.

 **[I am Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor.]**

Above Issei's head hovered an enormous red dragon. Its crimson scales glittered with each lingering flash of lightning, its four legs long and muscular enough to bench press as building. A tail long enough to wrap around a jumbo jet twice swished behind it, while a pair of immense wings beat slowly but powerfully behind it. Three horns adorned the head atop its winding neck, two sweeping past its crown and one standing atop its nose. Emerald eyes glowed over impossibly huge teeth, from between which tongues of flame flickered like tiny serpents.

"Holy. Balls."

Considering they were all thinking it, Akeno could be excused her language.

Beneath this dragon, this leviathan, Issei smiled.

"So. Draig, huh?"

 **[With two Ds.]**

"Well, I do love me some double Ds."

There was some nervous tittering from the peanut gallery.

"What are you going to do now?"

 **[What do you ask?]**

Issei considered this for a moment. "Well, for starters…" He turned to the waiting monsters and grinned. "TORCH THESE FUCKERS!"

With a mighty roar, a great gout of flame burst from Ddraig's jaws. Most of the mob was obliterated in moments, even the ground beneath them reduced to a huge, molten trench. The onlookers were nearly blown away as the dragon took flight, chasing the fleeing monsters from the sky and carpet bombing them in a hail of fire.

"I'm so glad I'm too dumb to tell how they're doing these special effects," grinned Issei. "This is awesome!"

"Are you kidding me!" screamed Rias, her voice cracking from exasperation. "After a demon, a fallen angel, King Arthur, an army of monsters and a literal dragon, you still can't believe this is real?"

"I know you're in the Occult Research Club and all," said Issei condescendingly. "But seriously now: magic isn't real."

Rias made a funny noise and sank her head into her hands.

"That said…" Issei paused as Ddraig landed with a crash behind him. "I'm going to have to split."

"What!" Rias' head shot up. "Why?"

"I promised my sister I'd visit her in the hospital."

"Asia?" Something seemed to click. "Oh god, Asia! What if the monsters have already made it inside!"

"Plus my parents are working late tonight so I'm the only one that can see her. You coming?"

"I… To the hospital?" Rias glanced at the other students nervously. "I… I'm sorry, but I need to stay here. There are only four Persona users here, and we need to keep everyone safe."

"Which means you have three heavy hitters to hold the fort while you're gone," Issei pointed out. "Look, I know you're in character and all, but even if I'm her brother, you're still her club captain. She said she's gotten very close to you recently and I know it would mean the world to her if you came."

She was clearly hesitating. "That's… I don't…"

"Rias," Issei climbed up Ddraig's wing until he was sitting at the base of the dragon's neck. "When this all is said and done, we're going to go back to school. We're going to graduate, get jobs, get married and have children. When those children ask if you've ever ridden a MOTHERFUCKING DRAGON, how do you want to answer?"

"I-"

"Times up. Let's go buddy! Time's a wastin'!"

With a Godzilla like roar they really should have been expecting from something that lived in Issei's head, Ddraig took flight. "Wait!" shouted Rias, one arm shielding her eyes from the winds of his wings. "Don't go yet!"

The tip of Ddraig's tail whacked into her at the last possible moment, and on sheer instinct she grabbed onto it for dear life. As the red dragon soared off in the general direction of Kuou Hospital, poor Rias was dragged screaming along for the ride.

"That," said Kiba. "Cannot possibly end well."


	3. Issei meets Kuroka

The road, shadowed on both sides by towering skyscrapers, was choked with abandoned cars. A group of screaming pedestrians was weaving desperately between them, chased closely by a boar the size of a truck. It had leathery brown skin with huge veins that glowed the same colour as lava, and down its back ran a mane of orange hair. Its huge tusks protruded forward like hooks, tossing out the way anything they didn't shred.

A huge shadow passed briefly overhead, and by the time someone glanced over their shoulder the boar was gone.

"Can you even eat that?" wondered Issei. "I thought you were supposed to be a figment of my imagination."

 **[I'll try anyway. See what happens.]**

With a distressing crunch, Ddraig landed at the peak of a tall office building. He lifted the squealing pig in one claw and took an enthusiastic bite.

"Issei!" someone shouted. "Get me down from here you bastard!"

"...Did you hear that?" He glanced over both shoulders. "I could have sworn I heard Rias' voice just now."

 **[You did. The red headed female has been clinging to my tail since we departed.]**

"We took off like nine minutes ago. How is she still holding on?"

"I'm going to kill you Issei!"

 **[Should I shake her off?]**

"Nah, I'd look like a dick to the viewers. Lift her up."

Without taking his jaws off the boar, Ddraig delicately lifted his tail and allowed her to dangle over his back. Rias began to kick her legs in panic.

"I'm falling! I'm falling!"

"Relax! Just stop- Ow! Just stop kicking your legs and I'll help!"

As Rias' legs finally stilled, Issei gently took her by the ankles and guided her towards the crook of the dragon's neck. She clung to him in terror when she was finally seated, her hair sticking out in all directions and her eyes wild and bloodshot. For a while she just sat there and shivered while Issei sympathetically (and guiltily) rubbed her on the back.

"Rias?" Issei was almost whispering, as though trying not to spook her. "Why were you holding on to my dragon's tail?"

"How dare you ask me that!" she hissed, nails digging painfully into his arms. "Why didn't you stop?"

"I didn't know you were there," he shrugged, trying desperately not to reveal how funny he thought this was. "There was so much wind blowing past that I only heard you after we stopped." Issei frowned thoughtfully. "Speaking of wind, it looks like you got way worse than I did. Hold still while I fix your hair."

"No," she mumbled weakly. "Don't…" She half heartedly tried to bat his hands away, but was far more preoccupied with holding onto him for dear life. Issei began to gently smooth out her hair, which began to stick to his fingers from the static. He kept going, and started to comb it with his fingers when it was more or less straight.

"Your hair is amazingly soft," he marveled, switching to a comb he pulled out the breast pocket of his school uniform. "It's a shame you're not a cat."

"Shut up," she croaked. She had buried her head into the crook of his shoulder as he worked, grudgingly starting to relax under his ministrations. "What sort of self respecting straight man carries a comb anyway?"

"For my sister," he explained, putting his left arm comfortingly around her waist while he continued to work with his right. "Asia likes it when I fix her hair."

He stashed the comb away when he was done and continued to stroke her hair. After a few minutes she drew away and rubbed at her eyes with her wrist. "Thanks," she mumbled reluctantly. "I'm okay now."

"Would you like me to take you back?" asked Issei gently. "We can go slower if you want."

 **[That's probably not a good idea,]** said Ddraig, allowing the mutilated remains of his prey to drop to the city floor. **[We're closer to the hospital than we are to the school. It will be faster and more efficient if we take her with us.]**

"It still might be for the best," Issei insisted. "She's obviously shaken up. We should take her back to her friends and-"

"No," croaked Rias. "You don't have to do that."

"I can tell you're still shaken up," Issei insisted. He glanced over the dragon's side to the dizzying drop below. "It'll help if you're around friends."

"You were right about Asia," she pointed out. "She's all by herself with no way to protect herself. If you go by yourself then it's just you and whatever frightened survivors you come across. Gremory was based off a moon goddess, so she has access to powerful mind magic. Your odds of dying are a lot lower if you have me backing you up."

 **[The female is correct.]** nodded Ddraig. **[Even if I have enough brute force to tank an army, I admit I'm lacking when it comes to technique. Her powers would cover my weaknesses nicely.]**

Issei hesitated. She was still holding onto his shirt with a grip that turned her knuckles white. "Still-"

"You were right," she said again. She was looking very firmly at his chest, and not at the distant pavement. "About Asia. She's your sister but she's my clubmate. If I went back now I wouldn't be doing it to keep the others safe. I'd be doing it because I was scared. And I'm not going to abandon anyone over a stupid reason like that."

For a moment Issei just looked at her. "...Alright," he nodded finally. "Hold on."

As soon as he was facing forward again Rias had her arms in a deathgrip around his chest, her eyes tightly shut and her face buried in the crook of his neck. She felt the dragon lurch and the air begin to swoosh by as they took off, but it lacked the devastating punch from when she clung to Ddraig's tail. Issei sat rock steady, his reassuringly calm heartbeat most likely coming from his mount being an extension of his being. Rias began to relax as she melted into him like a big, warm safety blanket.

She had somehow managed to fall into a light doze by the time Ddraig's hard brake jolted her awake. His wings flapped powerfully as he hovered over the hospital car park, a sharp contrast to the almost lethargic wingbeats on the way there. Either the monsters here were smarter or word had spread, because Rias could see creatures of all shapes and sizes fleeing for the hills. She felt barely a bump as they finished their descent, Ddraig almost daintily alighting on the ground before thoughtfully extending a wing for them to use as a ramp.

Like the utter child he was Issei used it as a slide, squealing giddily all the way down. Rias blinked after him, the fog of sleep still clouding her brain, before swinging her legs over the dragon's side. Ddraig just so happened to flex his shoulders as she stood up, throwing her feet out from under her and sending her skidding to the ground with a shriek. She shot Issei a glare, face glowing pink, as though daring him to comment.

He didn't notice, too busy focusing on how the hospital doors had been smashed inward.

The inside of the hospital lobby was littered with broken glass, while the metal frames they used to sit in twisted inward as though bent by a violent impact. The front desk, the waiting room chairs and parts of the ceiling had been torn apart, as though a giant had forced its way through without care for its surroundings. The walls and floor were streaked with blood, the dismembered remains of doctors and patients alike lying in grisly silence about the room.

"There's no signs of a barricade," Issei pointed out. "That doesn't make any sense. Aren't hospitals supposed to be, like, in the top four places to hole up in during the apocalypse?" The other three, naturally, being police stations, shopping malls and schools.

"I doubt they had the chance," remarked Rias. "When the creatures came they all just sort of phased in between one frame and the next. Not many appeared indoors, but enough probably spawned at the door that no one had time to react."

A thought occured to him. "How long was it between the monsters popping up and meeting me?"

"I think it was… four hours? Maybe five?"

"Wow. I was _tired_ , wasn't I?" This earned a small snort from Rias. She wondered if this was his way of easing the tension. "Asia is in Room 302 on the third floor. We should take the stairs if we can."

"Hold it!" She grabbed his arm as he started moving. His legs kept going while his upper body stayed where it was, and soon it was less about keeping him from running off and more about keeping him from falling over. "We don't know how many enemies are nearby," she continued, having apologised for the goof. "Hang fire while I perform reconnaissance. Gremory, Search!"

The red headed woman faded back into existence, still astride her massive, incongruous camel. She gave Issei a flirtatious wave before sending a wave of sand colored light from her fingertips: it swept slowly around the room before coming to hover around a heap of bodies. "There is only one life form on this floor, and it's hiding over there," reported Gremory. "Should I attack?"

"Nah, give me a minute," said Issei. He glanced out the door at the big red dragon waiting patiently outside. "I don't suppose you can shrink, can you?"

 **[As a matter of fact, yes.]** With a glow of red light Ddraig began to fold in on himself, and by the time Rias had gotten over the initial disbelief he was already sitting comfortably on Issei's shoulder. Rather than simply change his size he had transformed into a cartoonishly adorable mascot animal, with big eyes, tiny wings and an adorable chirp that could easily be mistaken for the call of a young bird. **[I'm warning you now, do NOT try to cuddle me.]**

Issei frowned as Ddraig's tail flicked against the back of his neck. "Didn't I buy Asia a toy that looked like you? Only blue?"

"You mean Rassei?" blinked Rias. "She loves that thing!"

 **[Yes yes, I'm very child friendly. Wasn't there a monster or something you wanted me to deal with?]**

Issei had to stop and think for a moment. "Oh. Oh! Right! Good thing you remembered!" Rias sighed and facepalmed. Issei took a few steps forward and placed himself between her and the pile of bodies. "We know you're in there. Come out before we set you on fire."

There was a rustle as something began to pull its way out of the heap of flesh. Weakly, with the set of her shoulders suggesting fear and the slouch of her back suggesting pain, a nurse a few years older than them pulled her way out of the pile. Her uniform was torn and filthy, her face was smeared with other people's blood and her long black hair was tangled and matted. Though she was very shapely and presumably very beautiful the effect was offset by the gut clenching shell shock in her eyes.

"Holy crap," whispered Rias. "Kuroka?"

Issei shot her a look. "You know her?"

"Of course! She's Koneko's older sister!" She hurried over to the older girl and tried to take her hands, only to be almost knocked over when she threw her arms over her shoulders and started to sob hysterically.

 **[You're not going to help?]**

"Nope," grunted Issei, keeping a careful distance. "If the Phil dream was real and this isn't all an elaborate prank then the last thing that woman needs is some random stranger getting all up in her grill."

 **[And if it is?]**

"Then I'm sure that these two have spent hours practicing for this, and really I've forced Rias to ad lib enough."

 **[Good point.]**

"Kuroka?" murmured Rias urgently. "Kuroka, are you injured? Are you alright?"

"They're all dead," the nurse wailed. "All of them, they're, they're all dead!" She began to duck into Rias' chest, and the redhead had to take her by the elbows to keep her from collapsing. "They came so fast, and they started killing, and people were dying, and people were hiding, and I was so scared and I hid but people were being found anyway and I knew the only way to escape was to hide under the-" Kuroka choked herself off with a violent shudder, as though physically forcing the memory out of her mind. Rias stroked her hair and whispered soothingly to her for a few moments as she gasped for air, startling back when she suddenly straightened. "Oh god, Shirone! Where is Shirone? Is she alright?"

"Who is Shirone?" asked Issei curiously.

"She means Koneko," answered Rias distractedly. "Koneko is her nickname."

"Is Shirone okay?" screamed Kuroka, violently shaking the other girl by her shoulders. "Did those monsters hurt her?"

"She's fine!" shouted Rias, fighting to be heard over the desperate wails. "She's back at the school with the others. You can come and see her when we leave."

"Lets go," begged Kuroka, the flesh beneath her grip beginning to bruise. "I need to know she's alright!"

"Not yet," said Rias placatingly. "We're looking for a girl named Asia Argento. She's in Room-"

"No please!" screamed Kuroka frantically. "You have to… I need to see…"

 **[This is going nowhere,]** interjected Ddraig. **[As she is now, this woman is of no use to anyone.]**

"We can't just leave her!" snarled Rias angrily, giving the sobbing nurse a protective hug. "I'm not going to abandon her!"

 **[I never suggested that you should,]** said Ddraig, actually sounding a bit offended. **[All I meant was that you should use your Persona to help her before we proceed.]**

"Gremory?" He could tell by the look on her face that she didn't get it. "How?"

 **[The Moon devil is a master of mind magic, yes? Then why not simply remove the traumatic memories from her mind?]** Rias appeared thrown by the idea. **[Don't take away her understanding of her situation, just the memories that will scar her or impede her ability to function.]**

"That's not a bad plan," nodded Issei thoughtfully. He shot a look at the other Persona. "Can you do it?"

"Possibly…" There was a lengthy pause as Gremory rolled the concept around her mouth. "There could be side effects, but only if she resists the spell. The only way I'm doing it by force is if I don't care how much of her mind is collateral damage."

"You can take them away?" Kuroka clung to the concept like a lifeline. "You can take away the screams? The screams and the smells and the visions?" She clung to the hem of Gremory's robe, crying like a child. "Please… Please, make them stop…"

Issei, Ddraig and Gremory turned to Rias, leaving the decision in her hands. She thought of Koneko. She imagined the look in her eyes every time her sister got off work early to pick her up from school.

"...Okay," she nodded slowly. "Let's do it."

Gremory gently placed her hand atop Kuroka's head. The begging receded into whimpers, then into sleepy muttering. Issei and Rias caught her as she slumped to the floor, awkwardly dragging her over to the wall so they could prop her up. For a long moment they just watched her sleep.

"So…" whispered Issei. "How long do you think she'll-"

Kuroka lurched upright with a scream. The two Persona users recoiled backwards with screams of their own, while Ddraig was knocked into the air and belched out a small fireball in surprise. Gremory let out an undignified squeal as it exploded against the ceiling, flailing her arms before tumbling from the camel's back. The beast honked loudly and escaped through the front door, while a flock of birds was startled off a nearby rooftop.

"Ugh… What happened?" groaned Kuroka. She sat up and rubbed her eyes with a massive yawn. Issei noticed she was a lot prettier now that she'd calmed down. "What time is it?"

"How do you feel?" asked Rias cautiously. Ddraig sheepishly settled himself back on Issei's shoulder, while Gremory wandered off to look for her camel. "Do you remember anything?"

Gradually, her eyes started to clear. "I… Yes. Wow, I… It's like my memories were censored to make them PG - 13!" She hopped spryly to her feet, grinning cheerfully. "Awesome! Thanks!" She began to pick at her clothes and hair, pouting in annoyance. "Ew. I need a shower. And a sandwich."

"There are vending machines over there," remarked Issei, poking one thumb over his shoulder and nearly taking Ddraig's eye out. "We can smash them up if you're desperate."

"Issei!" hissed Rias, interrupting Kuroka before she could agree. "We can't do that! That's illegal!"

Issei gave her a condescending look. "Rias. Poor, naive Rias. What do think is the first thing to be robbed during the apocalypse?"

Rias blinked at the unexpected question. "Uh… Vending machines?"

"Cash machines," he corrected firmly. "Banks. Those little slidy money calculators that appear in every shop in the world. It lasts until people realise that money is useless, then they start going for the food. We need to take the initiative while people are distracted by the free money."

"He's right you know," Kuroka pointed out.

"Don't say that!" hissed Rias. "Never say that!"

While they were talking, Issei had walked up to the nearest machine and allowed Ddraig to sear a hole through the transparent screen, holding him up like an adorable red blowtorch. He grabbed himself a BLT as soon as it was open, making a display of how delicious it was. "Mm, it's so good!"

"Issei, we're not going to steal-"

"Is there an egg salad?"

"You bet!"

Rias stood with mouth agape as Kuroka skipped forward, giving Issei a gleeful high five before chowing down. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"Can I have a tuna mayo?"

Soon the three of them had settled themselves into some of the less damaged chairs while they ate. "So," began Kuroka conversationally. "What did you say you were here for?"

"My sister," Issei reminded her. "Asia Argento. She should be in Room 304."

"Asia?" she blinked. "You mean the super religious, super adorable blonde girl with the blue dragon plushie?"

"That's the one."

"I love that girl!" Kuroka squealed, giving off the general air of someone talking about a basket of kittens. "Isn't she just the cutest thing ever?"

"My family adopted her a few months ago," grinned Issei. "It was the best decision we ever made!"

They began to swap stories and pictures of their little sisters, Ddraig and Gremory (who had abandoned the search for her camel) glancing curiously over their shoulders. After a few minutes, Issei suddenly remembered Rias was there too.

"Do you have any younger siblings?" he asked. Rias shifted awkwardly.

"I have a nephew," she nodded shyly, showing them a picture on her phone. A cute little boy with hair the same color as hers was sitting on her knee. They both melted like butter, and Rias quietly decided they were worth the annoyance.

"Okay, so, I've only just noticed this," began Kuroka. "But why do you have a dragon on your shoulder? Aren't the monsters the bad guys?"

"He's not one of them," explained Rias. "He's a Persona."

Kuroka gave her that blank smile people get when you throw proper nouns at them without context. "A what?"

"A Stand," said Issei. "People have them now."

"Oh, okay."

"What's a Stand?" asked Rias curiously. They shared a glance before laughing mockingly at her expense.

"Philistine," snorted Issei.

"Pleb," agreed Kuroka.

"Ah," Rias nodded sagely. "So it's a pop culture reference."

They had all finished eating, and Issei was offering a hand to help her up. She suddenly realised that they had essentially abandoned Asia in order to goof off.

"Don't worry," Issei grinned. "When this is all over we'll grab Asia and all your club goons, rustle up some popcorn and waste a weekend with some good hard Jojo binging. Sound good?"

She gave him a small smile and took his hand. "Sounds good."

Kuroka had offered them the use of a staff only elevator, but they had decided they didn't want to attract any creatures that might still be in the building. Gremory had gone back to wherever it is Persona go while Ddraig remained on Issei's shoulder. Issei himself led the way while Rias carefully watched the rear.

At one point a group of ugly brown goblinoids came rushing down the hall towards them, noticed Ddraig at the last minute and almost tripped over each other trying to escape.

So maybe they were just being needlessly paranoid.

"Here we are," said Issei. "Room 302."

"Here's a thought," said Kuroka suddenly. "Does Asia have a Persona?"

"That's…" Rias began, then thought about it. "...Possible. Everyone else in my club has one. Plus him."

"Let's just ask if she had the Phil dream," suggested Issei. "Even if she hasn't actually popped the thing out yet, that doesn't mean that it isn't still waiting in the wings."

He slid the door open, strode through and slammed painfully into the solid wall on the other side.

"Son of a bitch!" he roared, clutching his nose. "When the hell did that get there?"

"No idea," murmured Kuroka, carefully trailing her fingers across the barrier. "I brought her lunch earlier and it was fine then."

"Then where the _shit_ did my sister go?" At long last, Issei had been rattled. "Hey! Is there anyone here? Answer me now or I swear to-"

"Be quiet!" someone whisper shouted. A nearby door had been inched open, allowing someone with a gravelly voice to peep through. "You'll attract more of those things!"

"What happened to the girl in this room?" rushed Rias, cutting off Issei before he could lose his temper. "Please, we need your help! We're her-"

"I don't care!" the man snarled. "Just shut up and leave! We can't fit any more people here so you can't stay. Go away, she's probably dead anyway."

Issei gave him a cold look before glaring stonily at the impeding wall. "Ddraig?"

 **[Yeah?]**

"Burn it down."

Gremory barely appeared in time for her and Kuroka to be shielded from the blast. She heard screams from the other survivors as they frantically closed the door, flames licking at its edge as a blast far too big for such a small dragon crashed against the wall.

It didn't even leave a mark. They may as well have done nothing at all.

The air shimmered, partially from the heat and partially from Issei's lingering fury. "...Rias," he said finally. "Can you check the room with Search magic?"

She looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "Gremory!"

The demoness waved her hand toward the empty doorway, the odd light flashing for barely a moment before going out. "It's empty," she said quietly. "Sorry."

"Then scan the rest of the building!" Issei snapped. Gremory recoiled in shock.

"I… I can't! There's too much space for me to reach all at once!"

 **[How about now?]**

Ddraig plopped himself on her shoulder, red light emanating from his tiny body. As the light soaked into Gremory's pores her magic exploded outwards, briefly filling every inch of the hospital's interior before disappearing into her chest like water down a drain. She blinked, disoriented, as Ddraig fluttered back to Issei's side. "How did you do that?"

 **[Easily.]**

"Did you find her?" interrupted Issei. Gremory couldn't quite bring herself to meet his eyes.

"No. I'm sorry."

There was a tense silence. Rias wondered, briefly, if he was about to lash out at them. "...Let's go," he said finally. "We're going to the roof."

"Wait!" A grey haired man in a white coat fell out of the survivors' hiding place. Kuroka would later identify him as the hospital's director. "Please, take us with you! We can't survive on our own!"

"Fuck you!" Issei barked, stalking up the stairs as the two girls nervously followed. When they reached the roof, he waited until they were clear before slamming the door as hard as he could. He pressed his forehead against it as he fought to get his breathing under control. "Ddraig, change back."

 **[Right.]** Kuroka squealed as the roof was suddenly filled with a colossal red dragon. Issei ignored her and turned to Rias.

"Can you use Gremory to Search as we fly?"

"I… Yes, I can."

"Good. We're heading back to the school. I need you to scan the streets for Asia."

"I can do that," she nodded slowly. "...Issei, I-"

"The first people she'll look for are us," he interrupted. "Just like the first person we looked for was her. She'll be heading for the school."

He hopped up on the dragon's back, Rias behind him and Kuroka behind her. She reached around and gently took his hand.

"She's going to be alright."

Issei didn't respond, but he gently squeezed back. When Ddraig took off, his roar echoed like a scream.


	4. The School gets Reinforcments

It had only been half an hour since Issei and Rias left and Kiba was already getting antsy. Survivors had been funneling in for a while, and most of them were injured. Arthur had continued to heal them using Avalon, leaving Akeno and Koneko to patrol the school perimeter. He was trying to ignore the mixture of fear and awe in their eyes after seeing his Persona, as well as the possible consequences of general sentiment falling either way. Realistically half an hour was only thirty minutes, however he still found himself panicking at the thought of them being surprised by some nasty lurking around the corner.

"Hey," he groaned tiredly. The first year girl acting as his assistant immediately snapped to attention. "Are they back yet?"

It took her a moment to figure out who he meant. "Oh, you mean… No, there's still no sign of them."

"Then…" Kiba paused while he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Can you at least get a sitrep from the others about how everyone is doing?" She hesitated, either thinking it pointless or just not wanting to leave him alone. "Please?"

"...Okay, I'll see what I can do." Kiba gave her a grateful nod as she hurried out the door. There were no more wounded, so he slumped himself in the corner and allowed himself to doze off.

In his mind's eye, he could see a bird's eye view of the hospital where he knew Asia had spent the last year. A familiar red dragon was perched on its roof, and on its back sat Issei, Rias and a nurse with a naggingly familiar face. They flew off into the distance, and a glowing white butterfly shimmered across his line of sight.

" _Worry not, my child. Your friends are alive and well_."

"Wake up! Please wake up!"

With a snort Kiba shot upright, vision temporarily blurring with an odd sense of vertigo. "What? What's going on?"

"The student council just arrived! And they're ALL Persona users!"

With that, Kiba was wide awake. "Take me there."

Predictably, the group was meeting in the Student Council Room. It was insanely opulent, with soft leather sofas, an enormous mahogany desk and an even bigger window overlooking the school grounds. The president, Sona Shitori, was tearfully embracing Akeno in the centre of the room. The others were scattered about the room, one of them (Nimura, if memory served) was chatting with Koneko.

Eight. That was eight new Persona users. At last, some good news.

"How long has she been gone?" Sona was asking.

"A little over half an hour," shrugged Akeno. "I don't think we need to worry just yet, especially since she has Issei backing her up. When you have an actual fire breathing dragon in your corner there's not much that can stop you."

There was a derisive snort of laughter from the edge of the room. The only boy on the council, a pale haired young man named Genshiro Saji, was openly laughing at them. Kiba felt his hackles rise from the mocking tone. "What's so funny?"

"The fact that you think Issei Hyoudou could help anyone," Saji chortled. "Some dumb pervert with no talents outside being an asshole couldn't achieve anything. I feel sorry for your club leader if she's dragging dead weight like him around."

Akeno smiled, which those who knew her recognised as a sign of hostility. "Compared to you?"

"Of course," he grinned. "Some random, run of the mill dragon can't hold a candle to someone who opposed the Hindu god Indra!" The shadows began to pool about his feet, thickening into a gooey black sludge flickering with purple lightning. The murk began to rise upward as a huge head, until a huge black serpent floated around him in lazy circles. It had a sharp, arrow shaped snout and three violet eyes, while a collection of disquieting tentacles hung from its back. "Meet Vritra, the Black Dragon King!"

 **(This is what you called me out for?)** it grumbled. **(To show me off?)**

Koneko looked at him for a second. "...Is that it?"

Saji blinked. "What?"

"Is that as big as it gets?"

"I… No! At full size it's bigger than this building!"

"At full size, Issei's Persona could _flatten_ this building!" snorted Kiba. "You'll need more than that to impress us." Saji fumed at this indignity, but was interrupted before he could reply.

"That reminds me," said Sona quickly. "We have news about Issei Hyoudou's mother."

Kiba immediately assumed the worst. "Oh god. She's not-"

"She's alive as far as we know," said Sona quickly. "Let me start from the beginning. Do you know why we were outside the school when things… when things went bad?"

"I think so," offered Akeno. "Rias told me once that you have regular outings together for the sake of team bonding."

"Right," nodded Sona. "Well, this time we were hanging out at the Sun Mall trying out some seasonal food when the attack happened. We awakened our Persona at the same time and basically flattened them, but by then most of the people in there with us were dead."

There was a unanimous cringe of sympathy.

"One of the survivors was Mrs Hyoudou," she continued. "It seemed she was buying books for her daughter. We were going to escort her along with everyone else to the school, but we were ambushed as we went past Alaya Shrine. Mrs Hyoudou was injured taking an attack meant for someone else, then when two of our Persona users went to help they got cut off by the mob."

"That many?" Kiba decided against asking if there were any fatalities.

"And more," Sona nodded. "The three ended up barricading themselves inside the shrine while the rest of us had to flee. The plan was for us to mount a rescue mission after the civilians made it to safety."

"But you're all here," Akeno realised. "Who stayed behind?"

"Two young men not affiliated with us, who just happened to be in the same place when things kicked off," said Sona, pushing her glasses up as though recalling the encounter. "They said their names were Matsuda and Motohama."

"Aren't those Issei's friends?" Kiba wondered aloud, just before his face warped in horror. "Oh god, Issei! He doesn't know!"

"...There's no way to contact him either," said Koneko glumly. "So we need to wait until he gets back. If he gets back at all."

"Really?" blinked Sona. "Why don't you just call him?"

For a long moment, Kiba and his clubmates just sat and looked at her. "...What?"

"By phone," she clarified. "He has it on him, right?" She paused briefly. "Wait, are you just being passive aggressive because I forgot to call you on the way here?"

"We can call him…" whispered Kiba, before punching the air with an infuriated roar. "We can call him! Of course we can call him! Why the hell did nobody think of this earlier?"

"Do we have his number?" asked Akeno.

"No, but guess whose number I do have?" Kiba whipped out his phone and dialled Rias' number. She took a few minutes before replying, but replied nonetheless.

" _Yuuto? Sorry about that, Issei had to stop the dragon before I could answer. Is everything okay?_ "

"Yes! Everything is fine!" Kiba was near laughing from relief. "Are you at the hospital?"

" _No, we're heading back now. We just set off, so we'll be a while yet._ "

"How did it go?"

There was an unsettling pause. " _...Do you want the good news or the bad news?_ "

Kiba felt his blood run cold. "What's the bad news?" The chatter going on in the background went dead silent.

" _Asia wasn't in the building. Gremory Searched the place from top to bottom, but no luck._ "

"Do you think she escaped?"

" _We don't know. The door to her room had a blank wall behind it. Since monsters roam the streets and all our friends have superpowers, I couldn't tell you what it might mean._ "

Kiba rubbed between his eyes and took a deep, steadying breath, trying not to think of how Issei must be feeling. "Well, at least you two are okay. What's the good news?"

" _We met Koneko's older sister in the hospital. She's alive and well, and we're bringing her back with us._ "

Kiba's eyes widened. "She is! Great! Can you-" He glanced over his shoulder at the younger girl. "Can you put her on so Koneko can talk to her?"

"...Me? Why?"

" _Sure, I'll pass you over now."_

He gently pushed the phone into her hand before gesturing for Akeno and Sona to speak off to the side. "Asia is missing. Gremory swept the building with her Search magic, but came up dry."

There were gasps and hisses from the people listening. "I… I'm sorry," whispered Sona. "So then she must be…"

"Not necessarily," said Kiba. "The first time we used Search magic we swept the school for anyone still in it. It led us to three bodies underneath the stairwell, but no monsters. It only distinguishes between living or dead if she wants it too. If she couldn't find her then that means Asia left on her own terms, since I doubt any of those things would just pick her up and carry her out."

There were a few relieved sighs, and Akeno quietly sagged against the wall in relief. "Thank god."

"There was one odd detail though," continued Kiba. "The door to her room had a wall behind it. They have no idea why."

"Maybe it was a Nurikabe," suggested Akeno, getting a few odd looks. "You know, from Japanese folklore. A moving sentient wall fits the bill perfectly. These monsters come from mythologies and folklore from around the world, so it's not too much of a stretch."

Sona cocked her head. "Do you really think so?"

"I'm the Vice President of the Occult Research Club. I'm very sure."

"I don't think that's it either," winced Kiba. "Knowing how protective he is of Asia I'm almost certain Issei would have tried to break through by force, and I doubt some no name ghoul could stand up to the Red Dragon Emperor."

 **(Oh shit.)**

Saji glanced at his Persona distractedly. "Vritra? What's wrong?"

The dragon shifted its coils nervously. **(Saji, for the love of god, do NOT pick a fight with this man!)**

Koneko tugged at Sona's sleeve and offered her the phone, looking a lot perkier than when she entered the room. "...She wants to talk to you."

Sona held the device up to her ear. "Rias?"

" _Sona. I'm glad you're okay._ "

"Likewise," smiled Sona, some of the tension bleeding out of her shoulders. "Are you alright?"

" _Mostly. This dragon is a bit uncomfortable._ "

That was odd. It implied the Issei's Persona was carrying all three of them at once, while at full size Vritra could only carry one at a time. "Is Issei with you?"

" _Is he- Yes, but why-_ "

"Issei's mother is holed up in Alaya shrine with his friends Matsuda and Motohama. They're Persona users, but she's injured. We don't know how serious it is." They was a muffled gasp from the other side of the phone. "Now Rias, I need you to listen carefully. Koneko's sister is a nurse, right?" There was a subdued confirmation. "Does she has a first aid kit with her?"

There was a burst of muffled conversation from Rias' end. " _Yes, she does._ "

"Excellent," nodded Sona. If they played this right, everyone came home alive. "Here's what you need to do. Have Issei take you to Alaya shrine and treat his mother's injuries however you can. Me and the Student Council will hold the fort here while Akeno, Kiba and Koneko will meet you there. After Kiba uses Avalon to finish her off you can return as a group. Does that sound like a plan to you?"

" _Yes, thank you. We should get moving, I'll see you then._ "

"See you then," she echoed, allowing herself a small smile. "Good luck out there."

" _You too._ "

She clicked the phone shut and passed it back to Kiba. "How fast can the three of you get there?"

"As fast as we need to," grinned Akeno savagely.

"Good. We'll protect the school while you're gone. There are eight of us, so we should be fine." She paused, suddenly remembering something she'd noticed when first arriving. "I do have one question though. Whatever caused that mess outside?"

Saji glanced out the window, discreetly cringing at the smoking molten wasteland where the front lawn used to be.

"That?" laughed Kiba. "That's from when Issei fist activated his Persona. You should have seen it, it was crazy!"

"Seriously?" scowled Saji. "How tough could he actually be?"

A deafening, terrifying roar echoed out from the distance. The floor shook, the windows rattled, birds flew out of trees and monster on the streets below began to flee in the opposite direction. Vritra tried to do the same in a panic, only to bonk painfully into the glass window.

"Guess that means Issei knows his mother was injured," remarked Akeno. "He's already lost track of his sister, so I doubt he wants to lose his mother on the same day."

"We should hurry," nodded Kiba, and the three quickly filed out.

Sona glanced at Vritra inquisitively. "So who is Issei's Persona anyway?"

Vritra gave her an annoyed glare, clearly still in pain. **(Ddraig, the red dragon from the Welsh flag.)**

"That's it?" snorted Saji. "A flag?"

Vritra rolled his eyes. **(Look, I told you I was the Black Dragon King, right?)**

"Yeah?"

 **(Well, back then the Dragon Kings were assumed to be the strongest of dragonkind. At the time these two dragons, one red and one white, were keeping mostly to themselves. They didn't pick fights, didn't steal treasure, didn't torch random villages for no reason - they were losers, basically.)**

"Right," said Sona sarcastically.

 **(Then one day they started to fight, and that fight just escalated and escalated until the whole world was getting dragged into it. It eventually got so bad that Heaven and Hell had to suspend their eternal war and forge an alliance against them, because they just COULD NOT fight with these two in the middle. When they arrived on the battlefield with their combined armies the dragons stopped fighting and united against them, and do you know what happened?)**

"What?" asked Saji curiously.

 **(They got the shit kicked out of them, that's what. Even with their entire military might combined the two were beyond their capacity to kill. It was only after days of battle and more blood, sweat and tears than anyone thought necessary that they were finally sealed away beneath the earth.)** Vritra seemed to shudder at the memory. **(Those who survived referred to them as the Two Heavenly Dragons, Y Ddraig Goch and Albion Gwiber. The Dreaded by Heaven and Feared by Hell.)**

They was tense but slightly awestruck pause. The hand Sona used to adjust her glasses was noticeably shaking. "Are… Are you saying that Issei is a threat?"

 **(Oh god no,)** laughed Vritra. **(Usually, Ddraig is the chillest dragon alive. So long as the White Dragon Emperor doesn't show up to antagonise him, we'll be fine!)**

At that moment, in the hospital Issei had just left, the door to the room full of survivors burst off its hinges. The frightened people cowered away as a tall figure stepped through. He was wearing a black jacket with jeans, his good looking face was cast in a cold glower.

His hair was an eerie shade of white.

"I'm looking for Kuroka," he barked. "Where is she?"


	5. Galahad vs Michael Jackson

To provide maximum drama when Issei heroically rides in atop dragonback, let's look at this from the point of view of the people being rescued.

A while earlier, when Issei was sleeping and the world was gearing up for a monster apocalypse, everyone was still trundling on as they always had. People were bustling about under the assumption that nothing biblically disastrous was going to happen, the sky was sparkling with a distinct lack of impending doom and in a certain restaurant in a certain shopping district Sona and her henchmen were sitting around a table eating something salty and high in fat.

They were at a restaurant specialising in udon, their table settled against the window. Around it two benches sat opposite, four of them squeezed onto each side. Sona and Saji had scored the window seats. To his left, Ruruko Nimura was chatting about something stupid.

"Seriously," hissed Ruruko, the youngest person there. "There's been rumors flying around for weeks!"

"Oh really?" said Sona archly. She pushed her hair back delicately while she partook of her noodles, the grace of the action offset by the hilarious slurping noise that followed. "And what might that be?"

"People have been seeing things," Ruruko grinned. "Things like monsters, fading in and out like ghosts. People with nothing to do with each other are all saying the same thing, and the police are starting to realise it isn't a prank. They even talked about it on the radio."

"That doesn't mean it's real," said Tsubasa quietly. She was an athletic girl with short dyed hair, and was sitting at the far end of Sona's bench and staring gloomily into her drink. She shifted it nervously with the edges of her hands, causing the ice to clink against the rim. "It could easily be a hallucination brought on by… by things in the water supply. Something that could affect a lot of people."

"But that wouldn't explain why everyone sees the same things," Ruruko pointed out. "And besides, you never drink anything the rest of us don't. By all rights, we should be seeing the same things."

"She has a point," remarked Momo, an elegant girl with hair dyed a slightly lighter color than Tsubasa, who sat opposite. "It is unusual for this to happen to so many people at once. Maybe there's something we're missing?"

"That doesn't mean those monsters are real," insisted Tsubasa frantically. "There has to be a reasonable explanation, or else I'm going-"

"You're not going crazy," Saji assured her. "You're far too lucid for that. That means there's a reasonable explanation here, and that's what we're trying to find."

He got a grateful smile from Tsubasa and an approving one from Sona, the latter of which made him blush. Ruruko pouted at the sight, but let it go. "What about you?"

"Me?" Tomoe, the only person in the group who could match Ruruko in terms of enthusiasm, looked up from her beef bowl from where she was squeezed between Tsubasa and Tsubaki. "Why would I know anything?"

"These things that Tsubasa's been seeing. You're from a family of exorcists right? Anything to add?"

Tomoe cocked her head thoughtfully. "Well, I actually heard a few descriptions of these things on the news this morning. None of them sound like the sort things my family gets paid to deal with." She suddenly looked very sheepish, as though she'd been caught slacking on her homework. "Sorry, that's, er, actually all I've got."

Ruruko pulled an unmaidenly face, and the whole table laughed. Tsubasa in particular looked like she needed it. "Seriously? That's it? Why! Why must you trample my maiden heart so!"

"Try asking Tsubaki. She's from the same kind of family, except she's basically exorcist royalty."

Tsubaki snorted delicately. She was the tallest girl there, and had the longest hair and the largest breasts. Saji still thought Sona was the only one for him. "My branch of the family was excommunicated a long time ago. Don't expect anything from me."

"Hang on!" Tomoe perked up, having obviously spent the last few minutes looking for something helpful to say. "What about Reya?"

"Hm?" Reya, a reserved girl who wore her hair in two bunches, looked up from where she was scribbling away between Ruruko and Momo. She had brought some of the extra paperwork from Student Council with her, and hadn't been listening to the conversation. "What about me?"

"Your grandmother was a witch, right?" Tomoe was clearly warming to the idea. "Do you think there may be witchcraftian shenanigans going on?"

Reya blinked mildly, as if wondering why she was unfazed after hearing such a stupid question. "...I can't tell if you're joking or not." She sat in bemusement as another ripple of laughter made its way around the table. "Well, I'm afraid there's not much I can help you with. My grandmother was considered a witch, yes, but only because she had bizarre dreams."

This one actually got Sona's attention. "Bizarre? Bizarre how?"

"Prophetic, apparently," Reya shrugged. "I think it's more likely she just had an overactive imagination."

"So you've never had a dream like that?" asked Tsubasa. She had visibly perked up, and was no longer shaking. "You don't think it's… you know, real?"

"Oh, definitely not," chuckled Reya. In the background, Saji ordered some more drinks. "Though I admit, I have had a few strange dreams."

Momo gave her a curious look. "Like?"

"Well, just the other day I had the strangest dream about a man in white." All of a sudden, the whole group was paying attention. "He said his name was Philemon, and he had a mask patterned after a-"

"A butterfly's wing," murmured Sona. Reya gave her a surprised look.

"I… Yes, that's right. How did you know that?"

"Because I had the same dream."

She had barely finished talking before Saji shot to his feet. "I had that dream too!"

As if competing Ruruko began to shout that she'd had it as well, and soon everyone was fighting to claim they'd had it too.

"Tsubasa," said Reya calmly. "You need to calm down."

Abruptly, everyone noticed that she'd started to hyperventilate.

"We all had it?" Her glass rattled against the table as her hands shook. The corners of her eyes began to tear up. "Sharing… Sharing dreams…" She looked up with a small, scared smile. "That's not normal, is it?"

"Tsubasa," murmured Ruruko hesitantly, glancing at Saji as if for help.

"If… If that's true…" She was starting to hiccup now. Real panic was in her eyes. "Then the monsters, what if they're-?"

"Tsubasa Yura," interrupted Sona. She placed one hand on Tsubasa's, which was impressive if you remembered they were on opposite ends of the bench. "Take a few deep breaths." She guided the younger girl through it, speaking constantly and quietly until the panic attack had subsided. "You have nothing to worry about, do you understand me? Nothing at all."

"But what if this means-"

"It doesn't mean anything, trust me," whispered Sona reassuringly, lips curving in a rare smile. "If there's three things I can promise you, it's that those dreams meant nothing, magic isn't real, and there is no such thing as monst…"

She trailed off, glasses sliding down her nose as she peered over their heads at the door.

"What on _earth_ is that?"

The man who had just entered the restaurant looked so dramatically out of place it bordered on surreal. He was very tall and dressed all in white, reminding them all of Philemon. Unlike the dream man he was dressed for style rather than elegance, his white jacket and trousers at home on a dance floor more than anywhere else. Like him he wore a black dress shirt and tie, but unlike him his shirt was untucked, his top buttons were undone and his tie hung loose about his neck, managing to be stylish without being uncouth.

All of these things the restaurant's patrons noticed first. Then they got to his face.

It was very obviously metal, but smooth and well crafted in its imitation. The skin was painted the lightest brown, while eye shaped spotlights blared out above a carefully perfect nose. Artificial looking curls dangled from a white fedora, while the the jawline curved with metallic smoothness. If it was a mask, it was hard to say how it came off.

The mouth was the most bizarre thing about him. Vertical grooves went down either side of his lower lip, allowing his chin and the middle of his lower jaw to clack up and down like a nutcracker doll. The man slowly clacked his teeth three times - as though smacking his lips - before his unsettling spotlight eyes met Tsubasa's.

It was panic alone that let her flip their table up like a wall before he attacked.

It looked harmless enough at first. In the same moment Tsubasa went for the table he plucked his hat from his head, throwing it through the air like a frisbee. Halfway to where the student council was sitting it sprouted buzz saws from its rim, hitting the table just as Tsubasa dragged the others behind the barrier. It cut through the top half of the table like butter, allowing it to fall and hit Saji on the head ("Ow!") before continuing in an arc around the room.

First it hit a sitting man in the back of the neck, sending his head flying and likewise decapitating the woman sitting opposite them. The blood had barely touched their daughter's face before it embedded in the back of an old man, who had been heading for the entrance when the man in white walked in. For the first time, the metal man spoke.

"You've been hit by…" He reached out, lightly grasping his hat as the old man collapsed. As gravity pulled them apart, the blades tore free with a wet thunk. "You've been hit by…" The buzz saw retracted into the hat's rim, and he replaced it on his head just as the corpse hit the ground. "A smooth criminal."

The blood spattered little girl looked at her parents' headless bodies and screamed.

"Holy hell!" croaked Ruruko, as everyone not hiding behind their barrier erupted into chaos. "It's Michael Jackson!"

"From when he was hot!" added Tomoe. The resurrected legend had begun to dance, of all things, and everytime he flicked his jacket he let loose a swarm of shurikens studded with what was either glitter or glow in the dark rhinestones. Despite the ridiculousness of the sight it was causing carnage amongst the patrons. Most of them were wounded and a few looked dead. Frankly, enough of them were running in circles that he didn't need to aim.

The girl that was orphaned in the initial attack was taking cover under her table, half screaming and half sobbing with her hands over her ears. The sound hurt Saji's head more than all the other screams put together; with a groan, he clutched his hand to the lump left by the falling fragments of table. "Urgh… What happened?"

"We're being attacked by a robot Michael Jackson," responded Tsubasa, having lapsed into an eerie sort of calm that may have been brought on by shock. She shrugged at the look he shot her. "Hey, you know as much as I do. We are NOT in Kansas, Toto."

It was here that Saji noticed the terrified little girl. A large man with a beard ran up behind the Robo Jackson and threw his arms around his neck; about eight other people followed his league, dogpiling the thing in an attempt to hold him down. "Wait here," he hissed, barely stopping to think about what he was doing. "I'm going to get the girl."

"Saji, wait!" Sona screamed, but he was already out of cover. Not-Michael had started to spin like a top, skidding around the room and sending the people holding onto him (as well as any tables or chairs in his way) flying. When the last person disappeared through a wall he whirled into the center of the room, jumped into the air for one last twirl and landed in a dramatic pose with one arm skyward.

Saji was running back to their corner with the girl in his arms when Robo Jackson noticed him. Tsubasa, Sona and Ruruko were all rising to try and help, but he had removed his hat and was getting ready to throw it. She heard the other two scream, but knew it would do no good. As if in slow motion, the hat left his hand.

It was then that Tsubasa's latent sixth sense, which had predicted the apocalypse weeks in advance, finally awakened in her hour of need.

"I am thou."

Just as the spinning hat sprouted blades it stopped, embedded in a huge shield appearing between Saji and the late musician. It resembled a huge black cross attached to a grey dome. The center of the cross was also grey, with small black circles decorating the rim like chairs around a table.

"Thou art I."

Light began to spill from the back of the shield, slowly coalescing into human shape. The hat rattled for a moment before flying free, causing the man in white to briefly spin on the spot as he caught it. When he came to a stop he was facing the side, head bowed and hat pressed to his crown.

"From the sea of thy soul, I cometh."

When the light faded, a young man stood holding the shield. Black armor covered everywhere except his head, the parts covering his hands and feet covered with hooks and ridges. Blue cloth hung from his shoulders, and more dangled from his hips. His skin was lightly tanned while his hair was a dull white and covered one eye, which was an unusual amber color. His features were delicate and almost girlish, beautiful to the point it could make a real woman self conscious. At his side was a sword, which he left sheathed as he hefted the colossal shield with one hand.

"I am Galahad, the Perfect Knight."

Robo-Jackson slowly straightened, those creepy spotlights glaring at the shield knight from the corners of his eyes. "Are you okay, Annie?" he hissed.

"Tsubasa?" croaked Sona. "What… What is…?"

"Persona," Tsubasa said shortly. "Like Philemon said." Whether it was the fact that she could defend herself or just the knowledge she wasn't insane, she was a lot calmer and steadier than she was before. "Galahad is my Persona. I can fight if it's with him."

"Master," interrupted Galahad, eyeing the mechanical musician cautiously. "While I am fully capable of defending you, if I fight all out this place could collapse. Your friends should evacuate while they still can."

Tsubasa spared a glance over her shoulder. Saji, the girl still in his arms, scurried back to his friends. "Prez?"

For the briefest moment, Sona hesitated.

"...Grab a chair or something," she said finally. "We're breaking this window."

"Just beat it, beat it…" The thing started to moonwalk backwards, the glittery shurikens floating out the various walls, people and bits of furniture they'd embedded into to float like a cloud of fireflies about his shoulders. "Beat it, beat it…" He made a slow spin before posing with his hands splayed, in the way a modern man would make finger guns. The cloud of throwing stars moved like they were fired out of a machine gun, hurtling toward Tsubasa like a flock of gaudy frisbees.

Faster than she could see, Galahad easily intercepted the attack. They were nowhere near as sharp as the hat, and merely plinked pathetically off his shield instead of embedding in place.

"No one wants to be defeated," quoted Tsubasa mockingly, as Galahad lunged forward, using the immense shield as a club.


	6. Like a Dog out of Hell

Sona and the others heard a crash as they escaped through the broken window, a cloud of dust and debris following them outward. "Will she be okay?" coughed Saji. The little girl had stopped crying in favor of clutching his shirt and shivering. She had probably gone into shock.

"She has better odds than we do," Sona managed, forcing the words out around coughs of her own. She began trying to wave the dust away from her face with one hand. "We need to get help. Call the police. Tsubasa was right, something's going on and we need to… find… out…"

The situation they found outside the restaurant was even worse than the one they'd left behind. People were running and screaming in all directions, chased by huge demonic dogs with glowing red eyes and saliva that burnt holes in the pavement. A few people were fighting back with improvised weapons in small groups, while some were thrashing on the ground as the dogs crowded around them and ripped them apart. These people didn't last long before falling still, leaving the dogs to feast as they pleased.

Slowly, so that none of monsters noticed her, Sona inched toward a car left parked on the pavement. She gestured to the others to follow, until the whole group was using it as cover. They were spared from looking at the massacre, but they still heard the barking, the snarls and the screams.

"Did you see that?" croaked Tomoe. "Those people… they were dead! Actually dead! Those things…" She had to press one hand to her mouth to keep from vomiting. "They were killing them! Eating them! What… What the hell is going on?"

"This isn't real," whispered Momo, head between her knees and hands over her ears. "This is all… all a dream. Just… Just a bad dream…"

"What are we going to do?" hissed Reya, instinctively looking to Sona for leadership. "What are we going to do?"

"Let me think," she hissed back, fingers pressed to her temples. Tsubaki was trying to talk Momo and Tomoe down from their panic attacks, while Ruruko was crying into Saji's arm. "Their eyes!"

Tsubaki's head shot up. "Their eyes? What about them?"

"They were glowing! Bright red! Normal dogs don't do that!" By now, more of them were paying attention. "Also, did you see how-"

Sona clamped her mouth shut and went very still, staring in calm terror over their shoulders. Slowly, they turned their heads.

A huge snout was poking around the edge of the car, nose twitching as it sniffed the air. Its teeth were gooey with blood and viscera, and were big and crooked enough that its lips were kept permanently pushed back. They could see its gums, the healthy pink flesh a sharp contrast with its black fur. Sona had read somewhere that dogs chew bones to keep their gums healthy. Whatever this thing was, it wasn't sheep it hunted when it wanted a bone.

Saji was pressing the little girl into his chest with one hand and Ruruko into his arm with the other, while Tsubaki had covered both Momo and Tomoe's mouths. Sona found herself doing the same thing to Reya, but was just slow enough that a single whimper escaped. The creature's snout went very still, and there was a long, tense pause. A strand of saliva slowly dripped from its jaw, sizzling as it struck the concrete. There was a disgusting, acrid smell, and they found themselves fighting the urge to sneeze.

There was a shrill scream from somewhere behind them, and the hound dog ran off with a yip. They sighed with relief and tentatively began to relax. "Did you see that?" Sona went on. "That wasn't a normal dog. No way in hell."

"Then what was it?" Tsubaki, by virtue of their long friendship, had clearly noticed something from her expression. "What have you figured out?"

"Tsubasa and a bunch of others have been seeing visions of monsters for weeks right?" There was a round of hesitant nods. Ruruko in particular seemed to have tuned back in. "Well, what if that was because they were predicting those monsters were going to appear? What if they were all having visions of the same event?" She pointed back at the diner, from which the deafening sounds of combat still echoed out. "If those turned out to be real, then what about our dreams about Philemon?"

"Persona," breathed Tsubaki, figuring it out. "You're saying everyone that had that dream can do what Tsubasa did?"

"Of course, we still don't know how, exactly," Sona admitted. "But that man - Galahad - was pretty impressive. Did you see that last hit against… uh…" Sona faltered, not sure what word to use.

"Robo Jackson?" Everyone looked at Saji, who had the grace to look sheepish. "It's what I've been calling him in my head."

"...Right, Robo Jackson," Sona said finally, since that was really the best name they were going to get. "If all our Persona were that strong, we'd have nothing to fear."

"So you have superpowers?" They all jumped when the little girl spoke. She was looking at Sona, with a solemn expression that had no place on a child's face. "You can fight the monsters?"

"We… might…" Sona trailed off. "I'm… I'm not sure how… how we're supposed to… to…"

"What about you guys?" Ruruko piped up, gesturing to Tsubaki, Reya and Tomoe. "You two are exorcists, and your grandmother was a witch. Maybe you can-"

"Will you give it a rest!" snapped Reya, in an uncharacteristic surge of anger. "For the last time, there's no such thing as magic!"

They began to argue, and soon the whole group was drawn into it. No one paid any attention as Tomoe crossed her legs and started to meditate, muttering a buddhist prayer under her breath.

Her heartbeat slowed and her breathing evened. Fear drained from her mind, and she felt something else take its place. She didn't notice when the car they were sheltering behind bounced on its wheels, windows shattering as one of the murderous black dogs jumped off its roof and landed in front of them; the group fell silent as it whirled to face them. Huge and frightening, the creature lunged.

"I am thou."

The dog froze in mid air, screaming and whimpering. It was held in place by four floating swords that had appeared out of nowhere and impaled themselves in its body, two in its stomach and two in its back.

"Thou art I."

A huge, terrifying figure faded into existence. It resembled an Asura, a colossal demon with a flaming mandala floating behind its head. Its skin was pale green, its eyes glowed red, its teeth were like fangs and its hair was tied in a topknot like the samurai of old. Each of its four arms gripped one of the swords' hilts and - with a furious roar - tore the wailing hound into bloody chunks.

"From the sea of thy soul, I cometh."

A girl their own age appeared beneath the Asura's feet; she was extremely beautiful, her pale hair elegantly tied back with a black ribbon. Her clothes were incredibly colorful and high quality, like something between a samurai and a japanese feudal lord. The sleeves and undershirt were a vivid blue, while her jacket and boots were an imperial red. Around her waist was an embroidered gold sash, with which she held four katanas with two at each hip. The Asura sank down and assimilated into her, making her gorgeous clothes flap slowly. When the monster had been completely subsumed, she opened her eyes.

"I am Musashi, the Sword Saint."

Her dignified expression disappeared beneath a happy grin.

"Hi guys!"

The student council just stared, like idiots. "But…" whispered Reya. "Wasn't Musashi a man?"

"Not any more!" cheered Tomoe, before hopping to her feet and giving her Persona a giddy high five.

"How?" whispered Momo incredulously, head swiveling back and forth between them. "How did you just summon her like that?"

"I just sat, meditated, and recited the prayers my ancestors taught me," said Tomoe brightly. "Like Ruruko said!"

"Do as she says," hissed Sona. Tsubaki nodded and adopted the lotus position, muttering a Shinto prayer her grandfather taught her.

"Guys?" said Musashi innocently. "What do we do about them?"

Tomoe followed her gaze. About forty black dogs were standing on the street, on the parked or crashed ruins of cars and other vehicles, on the heaps of mangled corpses and, occasionally, on the rooftops. All of them were staring incredulously at Tomoe and her garishly dressed Persona, as were the eight or so people that weren't dead yet. A few of them still had whatever weapons they could find poised above their heads, rendered slack jawed at the sight.

"Well," said Tomoe tentatively. "What would you say your odds are?"

Musashi grinned savagely. "What odds?"

With the slightest bend of the knee she shot into the air, ground exploding behind her. As one of the dogs leapt toward her she drew one of her swords, cutting it in half in the same motion. Switching to a reverse two handed grip she impaled a second upon landing, piercing through it and embedding in the ground beneath. As the rest of the pack attacked she let go of the sword and drew two more, the original disappearing and reappearing in its scabbard. Like a hurricane she tore the creatures apart, her dancer like grace keeping even her billowing sleeves away from their grasping jaws.

"She's doing well," remarked Saji, the little girl next to him cheering the samurai on.

"Very well," agreed Sona, giving Tomoe an approving nod.

"But that can't be," whispered Reya, face slack with disbelief. "This can't… Magic isn't…"

She was interrupted by a deafening howl. A new hound far bigger than the rest had appeared, standing atop a bus that had crashed into a bookstore. It was posed dramatically and yodeling skyward (the effect slightly ruined by the grey, moonless sky) and a dozen more of the things were appearing in response. They were coming out of and over buildings, from the road, the alleyways and even a few manhole covers. Musashi was holding them off, but she was clearly starting to struggle.

"There are too many of them," said Tomoe, smile fading. "She can't do this by herself. We need to-"

"I am thou."

"Oh, never mind then," she sighed, shoulders slumping with relief as a vortex of green light appeared in front of the meditating Tsubaki.

"Thou art I."

A huge book floated out of the vortex. On the cover stood a girl in blue talking to a rabbit wearing a waistcoat, holding a pocket watch in one hand. In the background stood a huge red mushroom with white spots, and on top of the mushroom lay a grinning purple cat. The words _Alice in Wonderland_ were proudly displayed across the spine. Roused from her meditation Tsubaki opened her eyes, only to draw back at the sight of the floating book.

"From the sea of thy soul, I cometh."

The book opened, and from between its pages emerged a small girl. She looked between seven or eight and was very thin, her limbs so slim they may shatter at the slightest touch. Her skin was pale and flawless as porcelain, her hair was a colorless near white and her eyes an iridescent pink. She was wearing a gothic black dress with a matching hat, and tied at her back was a ribbon pink on one side and black on the other. More such ribbons were tied at each side of her head, and below them her hair hung in long braids with black and white ribbons at the end. As she alighted on the ground the book and vortex disappeared; with a sweet smile, she pinched her dress between her fingers and dipped in an adorable curtsey.

"I am Alice, the Heroine of Madness."

"Some help would be nice!" shouted Musashi, mid-backflip. Tsubaki glanced over her shoulder before looking back to Alice, who smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

There was a brief but unsettling moment where she realised the girl's joints were made entirely out of spheres, like a doll.

"Alright then," she nodded, balling her hands into fists. "Show us what you've got."

Alice smiled, raising one hand above her head. "Off with his head!" A flurry of playing cards erupted out of her sleeve, briefly circling above her head before plunging into the ground. One by one they started to grow, until a platoon of Disney style card soldiers was marching into battle. The swarm of dogs launched themselves at the card men but were pushed back as the formation held. Though their spears did little in the way of damage they were nigh invincible, as any wound they sustained healed near instantly. Musashi whooped gleefully and reentered the fray, targeting places where the lines were about to breach.

With a snarl the alpha hound leapt toward the student council, but Alice just smiled and cocked her head.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son."

A colossal, muscular figure appeared in the creature's path, punching it away with ease. It was three times the height of a normal man. It's skin faded between red and purple, bizarre tattoos evocative of tron lines decorated its face and shoulders. Its arms were ludicrously over sized, and jagged spikes erupted from its wrists and ankles. Similar spikes came from its head and back in a twisted parody of horns and wings, while the only feature on its face not aped by the weird tattoos was its right eye, wide and glowing and unbelievably creepy.

With a roar it began to do battle with the alpha, displaying all the regenerative properties of the Trump Men with many times the attack power. Some of the more hot blooded among the spectators began to egg it on.

When became clear that further effort was futile the creature switched tactics, darting around its opponent and ripping into the ranks of Trump Men. The pack disengaged as their alpha took the lead, turning instead on the Jabberwock and harrying it like hunting dogs on a bear. It was invincible, yes, but it was immobilised anyway, reduced to thrashing and writhing beneath the waves of snapping jaws.

Very soon Musashi found herself fighting alone against the black beast, the regenerating soldiers torn to shred faster than they could regrow. She could kill it, theoretically, but she was so busy dodging that she couldn't get a clean hit. She hadn't yet started to panic, but for the first time a chunk was bitten from her sleeve.

The little girl shot Reya an aside glance. "Isn't this where you're supposed to help?"

"But how?" Reya was the quiet, intellectual sort, and she found herself helplessly overcome by the situation. "I don't know any magic chants! What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't think chanting or praying has much to do with it," admitted Tomoe. "It's really more about… about…"

"Belief," said Tsubaki, looking at Alice thoughtfully. The Persona smiled and hugged her, and she found herself stroking her hair fondly. "It's about belief. As soon as I believed I could, I could."

"Belief…" whispered Reya, and closed her eyes.

"I am thou."

Her shadow lengthened behind her, rising up the wall until it towered a solid foot above her head.

"Thou art I."

The shadow stepped out of the wall, standing silently at Reya's back. The figure was wearing black pants and black shoes, its muscular arms and torso plain to see. Brass bangles wrapped around its wrists, left thigh and left bicep. A dark cloth was wrapped around its head, shoulders and upper chest in parody of a turban, while what was visible of its face was covered by a skull like mask.

"From the sea of thy soul, I cometh."

The figure's turban was flung aside, revealing itself to be female. Her vibrant purple hair was tied in an enormous ponytail, and she wore a thin top with hoop earrings. As the cloth hit the floor another figure appeared; he was tall and thin, and wore the same mask as the woman. A third figure, like the man but huge, appeared also, with more appearing by the second.

"I am Hassan-i-Sabbah, of the Hundred Faces."

They were everywhere, on the streets, the rooftops, the heaps of corpses and debris. Everywhere you looked was a dark, skull faced figure of every shape, size and gender you could think of. In one swooping motion, they fell to their knees.

"We are Hashashin, numbered nineteenth amongst the Old Men of the Mountain," said the purple haired woman respectfully. "Command us, master."

"Holy crap!" whispered Ruruko, with the tone of someone meeting a childhood hero. "It's like Assassin's Creed! But for goths!"

Reya glanced awkwardly at the fighting. The Jabberwock was still occupied by the pack, and the only reason the alpha hadn't torn Musashi apart was because of the Trump Men backing her up. "Can… Can you help my friends!"

The masked woman gave a deep nod. "As you wish, master."

The assassins leapt into action, half toward Musashi and half toward the Jabberwock. The thin man flicked a pair of stones with pinpoint accuracy toward the alpha's eyes, blinding it long enough for the larger man to shoulder check it from the side. In the brief moment when it was stunned the other assassins produced lassoos and knives on ropes, wrapping the creature up and impeding its movements.

The rest hit the lesser hounds in a wedge formation, deliberately pushing them aside to make a path between the Jabberwock and the alpha. It joined the fight just as the head monster was breaking free of its binding, smashing its snout into the ground. The creature was now at a massive disadvantage, fending off the Jabberwock as the assassins hindered its movements, by now unable to resist as the Trump Men assailed its belly with their spears. Musashi had broken off from the melee to help mop up the underlings, leaving the full force of the Hundred Faces to concentrate on the alpha.

Taking advantage of its distraction, Musashi hopped onto a building behind it. She sheathed her swords, knelt on one knee and formed a mudra with both hands.

"Namu," she whispered. "Come hither, my roaring sword."

All four of her swords floated out of their sheaths and hovered above her head, transforming in a flash of light into four immense broadswords. A pale aura emanated from her shoulders, rising and coalescing into physical form; the four armed Asura that had precluded her appearance stood once more on the battlefield, grabbing the broad swords with a snarl. One began to glow yellow, the second blue, the third red and the fourth green.

"Ishana, Daitenshou!" Musashi roared, and the Asura lunged for the helpless alpha. The assassins scattered as it approached, while the Jabberwock and the Trump Men held it in place, clinging with suicidal resolve as it struggled. "Earth!" The yellow sword crashed into the immense dog's back, lumps of concrete sent flying by the attack sucked back in as if by gravity and hitting it in the sides like bullets. "Water! Fire! Air!" The blue sword sent a scythe of pressurised water that cut of its hind leg, the red sword burnt its back with flame and the green sword ripped into it with wind so fast it could cut.

At this point Alice flicked her wrist, causing the Trump Men to disappear and the Jabberwock to throw itself in front of the student Council like a shield. The assassins began to grab the surviving spectators and drag them behind any cover they could find.

After the fourth blow the Asura disappeared, in its place a single sword glowing with white light. Musashi leapt into the air and grabbed it, and its blade extended until it could tower over a building. "Six Realms Five Planes!" she grinned. "Divine Figure of Kurikara!"

There was a brief but pants-wettingly terrifying moment where it seemed the immense blade would hit them too, but the blaze of energy went between Sona and Tsubaki by a narrow margin. The hound lasted a few moments under the wave of energy before it disintegrated, a mournful howl following it into oblivion.

Musashi's swords reappeared in their sheaths as she landed on the ground; with a huge grin, she punched the air victoriously. "Was that cool or what!"

Reya almost jumped out of her skin as Tomoe slumped against her shoulder. "Are you all right?" she asked urgently.

"Yeah, that just… just tired me out a bit."

"So it's like MP?" wondered Ruruko curiously. "I guess it would be a bit overpowered if you could spam them all you liked."

Tsubaki shot her Persona a curious look. "We've been summoning Wonderlanders like nobody's business. Why aren't we tired?"

"I'm a magic type," said Alice reassuringly. "I have better reserves than most."

Reya gave Ruruko a nervous look, leaving Tomoe to an assassin in a hooded robe that was apparently a trained medic. "Listen, I wanted to apologise."

She got a look of mild surprise in return. "For what?"

"For snapping at you earlier. I shouldn't have done that, regardless of the situation and… and…" Reya fidgeted, refusing to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry. For doubting you, as well."

"Don't worry about it," smiled Ruruko understandingly. "I doubted me. Just forget it."

An odd noise began to echo in the ruined street, like someone humming out of an old radio. There was a rhythmic clanking, like metal footsteps, and everyone present turned to look as lone figure walked mechanically toward them.

"Rock Lee?" blinked the little girl.

"Nah," said Saji next to her. "Rock Lee doesn't have brown hair. And he doesn't wear a striped shirt. He looks more like that one folk singer, what's-his-face…"

"All of you be quiet," hissed Sona. "It's another robot!"


	7. Sona vs Rock Lee

Everyone began hiding behind any cover they could find. Alice and Musashi faded out of existence, while the assassins began camouflaging themselves wherever they could. Slowly the Not Lee came closer, and they saw the creatures following in its wake.

They resembled small flightless birds, their plumage blue except for their heads, which remained a healthy green. Their huge yellow eyes swivelled curiously, and they cheeped like ordinary chicks as they pecked at the corpses in their way. One of them wandered around the side of the car the student council was hiding behind, and Reya pulled her legs in and whimpered as it hopped towards her.

With zero fanfare, the tall skinny assassin stepped away from the wall and squished it beneath his heel.

The humming stopped abruptly. Not Lee's head turned sharply like an owl's. For a moment it just glared, before opening its mouth. The metal cavity behind its teeth, which was almost certainly a cannon, shone dimly. There was an indescribable noise, and the assassin exploded like a hamster in a microwave.

The Hundred Faces erupted from hiding, knives and darts and every other weapon you could think of bouncing off the creature's metal skin. It began to hover in the air, using the sound cannon in its mouth to blast the assassins apart one by one. Any who got close discovered that on top of its durability the Not Lee was insanely strong, occasionally killing its assailants with lucky hits.

"Master!" screamed the purple haired woman, ducking as the burly assassin exploded into gooey chunks. "We can't do this forever! We need reinforcements!"

"Musashi!" called Tomoe, and in a flash the samurai had kicked the robot out of the sky. She was clearly weakened after her titanic final attack, but her blades were still far faster than the eyes could follow. When the Not Lee hit the ground and opened its mouth to attack she ripped of his jaw entirely, jamming her sword under the barrel of the sound cannon and prying it off with a grunt. The robot screamed and thrashed, oil and shards of metal flying off its face.

Musashi raised her sword with both hands. "And now!" she declared. "The final-"

The awful noise filled the street, and her upper body exploded with a wet thud. Tomoe collapsed with her eyes rolled back as what was left of her Persona faded away. With a panicked shriek, Reya caught her just in time. "What's happening?" she screamed. "How did it…"

She trailed off, noticing her friends staring upwards. She followed their gaze.

Dozens of the robots were floating above their heads, glaring furiously at the upstart humans. In an unsettlingly unified motion, they opened their mouths.

"Alice!" screamed Tsubaki. "Trump Men, now!"

The living playing cards appeared in mid air between them and the Not Lees, but the sound cannons were obliterating them faster than they could regenerate. The Jabberwock lunged into the fray, but when the Trump Men let him through a blast made it past the opening, hitting Alice in the chest and shattering her like porcelain. Her creations vanished in a puff of pink smoke, and Tsubaki passed out as quickly as Tomoe had.

The Hashashins were now running interference to keep them from focusing on who was left, but they lacked the raw power to finish them off and were rapidly dwindling in numbers. "Master!" gasped the purple haired woman, now missing an arm. "We need to retreat!"

"But what about Tomoe?" demanded Reya. "And Tsubaki?"

"...It would be difficult to escape with them weighing us down," said the assassin reluctantly. She said no more, but the implication was clear.

"How can say that? We can't just…"

The rest of what Reya said faded from Sona's ears. The first enemy defeated by Musashi had hauled itself to its feet, and though it could no longer use its cannon it had managed to hobble its way toward them. Sona felt her throat close up as it drew closer, imagining what happened to the Persona happening to her.

Her eyes cast about for someone to help, but Tsubaki and Tomoe were unconscious and the only assassin not occupied by the enemy was too busy arguing with her master to notice the threat. She found her voice had escaped her, choked by a wave of fear and panic.

So she had no idea what drove her to step forward, reaching out to push Reya out the way, but it was probably the trigger for what happened next.

"I am thou."

With a shriek of twisting metal the Not Lee's skin was ripped from his body, leaving the ugly metal interior bare to the world. Its lipless metal teeth gnashed together, its blank eyes looking startled but furious. Noticing the threat at last, the purple haired woman threw herself between him and Reya.

"Thou art I."

Twisting whips of water lashed out of the air, the robot barely managing to evade as they lunged toward it. They began to form into animals, into birds and lions and horses and serpents. One in particular stood at Sona's side, shifting from water into something solid.

"From the sea of thy soul, I cometh."

The fully formed creature resembled a leopard, tall enough to reach her elbow and with a magnificent pair of wings stretching from its back. It glared balefully at the skeletal machine, the water beasts warping into a twisting whirlpool that surrounded the Persona like a shield.

"I am Sitri, Prince of the Twelfth Pillar of King Solomon."

With what might have been a sonic boom the water shot forward, hitting the robot in the chest. The twelve inch wide spear of liquid sent the Not Lee flying across the street, exploding into the front of a second hand bookshop in a blaze of fire and half melted mechanical limbs.

Above them, the clash of assassin vs machine ground to a halt. Both sides just stared at the newest combatant.

Sitri sat and cocked his head, looking Sona in the eye. After a long moment of sizing each other up, she smiled and scratched him under the chin. He purred deep in his chest, and Sona inwardly congratulated her subconscious on its choice of Persona.

She loved cats.

"Sitri?" she murmured, cautiously observing the robots from the corner of her eye. "Can you hold them off?"

"Depends," drawled Sitri, slurring slightly around his purr. "Can you scratch my ears next?"

"Of course I-" She didn't even get to finish before the water beasts sprang back into existence, hurling themselves at the startled machines. The assassins quickly retreated as the aquatic constructs charged, easily pulling themselves back together faster than the sound cannons could blow them apart.

There were so many of them that they resembled a giant moving shield against the enemy attacks. Sona resisted the urge to squeal.

"Reya?" she called, not moving her eyes from the sight above. "How many assassins do you have left?"

"About twenty," responded the purple haired woman, allowing the medic assassin to bandage the stump of her arm. "But we can regenerate given time in master's mind."

"Good," nodded Sona. "Withdraw, and return to the fight when you feel you must. I want you as fighting fit as you can manage."

The Persona glanced at Reya, who gave her an encouraging nod. "Do as she says." The Hashashin bowed deeply before fading away, taking her friends with her. Reya shot a look at the older girl. "Can you hold them off on your own?"

"For now," grunted Sitri, eyes on the sky as it orchestrated the assault. "But I'm afraid they're staying out of range. I can't reach them, but they can't hurt us so long as I keep defending."

"Which means," frowned Sona, adjusting her glasses thoughtfully. "We're at a stalemate."

"Are you sure?" said Ruruko. "Are you sure there's nothing else you can do?"

Sona blinked, not quite sure what she was getting at. "What do you mean?"

"You said you were from the Twelfth Pillar, right?" Ruruko was now directly addressing Sona's Persona. "By that you mean the Seventy Two Pillars of King Solomon, right?"

Sitri gave her an unimpressed look from the corner of his eye. "Congratulations, you have clearly read a young adult novel loosely based on a wikipedia article. Your point?"

"I remember that all of you were pretty diverse when it came to your abilities," she persisted. "Don't you have anything else in the back pocket?"

The leopard blinked slowly. "Well… there is one thing, but-"

"You do?" blurted Sona. "Great! Do it now!"

"I… I really shouldn't," Sitri deflected awkwardly. "It's not the sort of thing you-"

"Sitri, we are officially out of options," Sona insisted. "If you've got something up your sleeve, then you need to use it right now!"

"...Very well," sighed Sitri. He politely averted his eyes. "Dress Break."

Earlier, Sitri made a disparaging remark about wikipedia. This is because, unlike many of his compatriots, he doesn't have a page of his own. He instead has a small paragraph, which reads thusly:

Sitri is a Great Prince of Hell, and rules sixty legions of demons. He causes men to love women and vice versa, and can make people bare themselves naked if desired. He is depicted with the face of a leopard and the wings of a griffin, but under the conjurer's request he changes into a very beautiful man.

Read that middle part again.

Sona's clothes popped off her body with the sound of a bursting balloon, floating in small scraps to the ground. There was a brief moment in which everyone saw what had happened, but couldn't quite wrap their minds around it. She found herself freezing in place, arms locking where she had crossed them and eyes staring ahead in frantic denial. Man and woman alike stopped to stare, and even a few of the homicidal robots stopped for a double take.

Saji's reaction was possibly the most dramatic, jaw working soundlessly and eyes bugging out of his head. Her snow white body flashed before his eyes, far more perfect than he could have ever imagined. Their eyes met, her face flushing with a fury no man could ever hope to match.

"Told you," grunted Sitri, still looking at the battle in the sky and absolutely nothing else.

With a mortified shriek Sona's fist met Saji's face. Despite her slender build she was very strong, having studied martial arts alongside her sister, and had more than enough raw power to knock a squishy, unathletic schoolboy off his feet. The girl they had saved from Robo Jackson took an alarmed step back as he managed a full on backflip through the air, and by the time he slapped face first into the pavement he was well and truly out cold.

"...When he wakes up," said Ruruko eventually. "Use that on me next."

"What?" blurted Sona. She was desperately trying to cover herself and was attempting to hide behind Momo, who was waving her hands in the air in the fashion of people who are freaking out and have no idea what to do with themselves. "Why?"

"Come on, please!"

"No," said Reya suddenly. "She's right."

Sona peeped around Momo's shoulder. "She is?"

"I am?"

"Think about it," continued Reya. "Sitri has the power to pull someone out their clothes, right? What if we pulled a Persona out of a person using the same concept!"

"You do realise that we're the clothes in this scenario!" insisted Sona, almost as baffled as she was angry. "The clothes exploded! This is a terrible plan!"

"But what if you can moderate it!" Reya was getting entirely too excited by the idea. "If you can make the inside pop out instead of the outside popping off-"

"Actually, that could work," said Sitri thoughtfully. Sona and Momo gave him alarmed looks. "I would need to be as precise as a scalpel, but it could work. It's a shame I don't have something to focus my magic, but it's not impossible without one."

Reya cocked her head thoughtfully. "Have any of you got something that can help?"

"I have," came a rasping voice. The Hashashin that appeared then was female, and was wearing conservative, voluminous black clothing along with a shawl that covered most of her head. "I am an expert in magical arrays. Crafting what you need will be child's play."

She was throwing needles at the floor as she spoke, arcane lines melting around them through the concrete into a complicated circle several feet in diameter. The scraps of clothing inside glowed briefly before dissipating and reassembling as a complete school uniform. A few more assassins phased in and stood in a row, politely shielding Sona from view as she got dressed.

"On a scale of one to to ten," said Sona; her attempts to regain an air of professionalism were hampered by the way she hopped on one foot, trying to keep her balance as she put on her underwear. "What are the odds of this going wrong and killing whoever it targets?"

The array assassin shrugged in a way that did nothing at all to settle their doubts. "A four, I'd say. Assuming we weren't interrupted. Tales of Sitri's former master have circulated amongst my people for generations. Our magic is more compatible than most."

Ruruko glanced between the two Persona nervously. Sitri must have had a lot of gas in his tank, since he didn't look tired despite holding the line alone for the past ten minutes. "...Okay. Okay, I'll do it."

"You will?" The look Sona gave her was equal parts concerned and surprised. "I mean… are you sure?"

Truthfully, she wasn't. She only even started this discussion out of impulsive annoyance at her crush seeing a prettier girl naked. "If I don't, we're done for."

Sona gave her a searching look before cautiously stepping back. "Okay. Be careful."

The assassin threw her needles into the ground at Ruruko's feet, lines melting their way between them until she stood at the centre of a complex magic circle. When it was finished she stepped back, giving Sitri a curt nod before fading away. The winged leopard stretched his wings as his aura flared. "Dress Break."

"I am thou."

The circle exploded into life beneath her feet. Each carefully crafted line shone with white light, and she had to hold down her skirt as wind began to circle her dramatically.

"Thou art I."

A pinprick of light began to shine above her head, growing larger and larger until a figure became visible within it. It resembled a baby, curled up in the foetal position with skin like burnished gold.

"From the sea of thy soul, I cometh."

The baby grew before their eyes, circled by butterflies made of light; within moments he had reached the age of twelve. He was barefoot with long, gnarled toenails, and was wearing a tunic made of leaves. His hair looked like overgrown grass (complete with flowers) and from each temple came sweeping horns that on closer inspection were short wooden branches. His eyes were yellow and slitted, and darted about constantly.

"I am Puck, the First of the Hobgoblins."

Ruruko looked at her Persona and blinked. "Puck? As in the play?"

"Right!" grinned Puck, puffing out his skinny chest proudly.

"Weren't you the fairy guy with the love potion who kept messing up who to administer it to?"

"Oh, sure," snorted Puck, rolling his eyes impudently. Everyone looking at him suddenly realised he had a very punchable face. "That's the first thing people remember. No mention that I can run from one side of the planet to the other in forty minutes."

Ruruko looked a bit more excited. "Wow, really?"

Puck leapt vertically into the air, crashing into one of the Not Lees and jumping off it like a springboard. In blur of brown and green he bounced from robot to robot, looking and sounding like a pinball machine. He hadn't managed to visibly damage any of them, but no matter how hard he punched or how fast he kicked his slender limbs remained unblemished. After one of the droids clumsily blocked he somesaulted away, bouncing off first a building then a stop sign before coming to rest exactly where he started.

"Yes," he said condescendingly, before springing back into the fray.

"Alright," grunted Sitri. "Who's next?"

"She is," said Sona, clasping Momo firmly on the shoulder.

"What?" blurted Momo, and began frantically trying to escape. "Weren't you against this a second ago?"

"That was a second ago," said Sona flatly, ignoring the younger girl's squirms. "This is now."

"It could kill me!"

"It didn't kill Nimura."

"Nimura volunteered!"

"Look, you know I value your opinions and your free will," said Sona comfortingly. "But desperate times call for desperate measures. Now get inside the magic circle and let my leopard rip your insides out before the flying robot ninjas kill us all."

Puck zipped back down to ground level, said: "I _love_ that sentence!" and zipped off again.

"Wait!" yeped Momo, kicking her legs as the Hashashins manhandled her apologetically into the circle. "My heart isn't ready!"

Naturally, Sitri ignored her. "Dress Break."

"I am thou."

Again the circle lit up, and again there was a dramatic atmospheric wind. Unlike Ruruko, Momo wasn't fast enough to push down her skirt; Sitri and the assassins politely averted their eyes, while Puck dropped out of the fighting long enough to whistle offensively.

"Thou art I."

Green slime began to bubble out of the pavement, creeping alarmingly into a circular wall. By the time the light and wind stopped obscuring her Momo's vision she was trapped inside a transparent green dome.

"From the sea of thy soul, I cometh."

Suddenly the dome was surrounding the entire group, then the entire street, then big enough that even Puck, the robots and the water beasts were all contained within. Suddenly the wall was made of bricks, of planks, of glittering diamond plates. It went from a circle to a square, then a triangle, then an angular diamond. Finally it shrank, folding into the shape of a single square wall maybe three and a half metres tall. In the middle sat a cartoonish, oddly depressed looking face.

"I am Nurikabe, the God of Walls."

"Great," grunted Sitri. "Can I rest now?"

Sona was just opening her mouth to say no when he disappeared. There was a moment after his water constructs vanished when the Not Lees seemed to stop and stare, as a green square appeared over their shoulders.

Puck used the square as a platform, jumping off it and kicking one of the droids in the back. More of the squares appeared and disappeared, allowing Puck to shoot around his target like a ping pong ball.

"Float like a butterfly," he chirruped. "Sting like a bee!" Jumping off a platform directly overhead, he delivered a brutal elbow strike to its cheek. The machine hit the ground like a meteor, slamming into the concrete a few yards from where they were standing and sending up a cloud of dust and debris.

At a barked order from Reya the Hundred Faces joined the fight; though not many of them had regenerated they adapted extremely well to the altered battlefield, jumping from the platforms almost as gracefully as Puck. As the dust settled, the damaged Not Lee pulled itself from the crater Puck had left it in; seconds before it fired its sound cannon, Momo noticed it.

"Nurikabe!" she shouted. A green barrier shot of the ground between them; as the cannon roared the fibers bent outward, before snapping back like it was made of elastic. Somehow, this sent the invisible blast straight back at their aggressor; with a metallic crunch, its left arm and most of its face were blown off, revealing the machinery within. As the droid went still, something began to crawl its way out from the wreckage. "Guys?" Momo quavered. "You should probably get a look at this!"

It resembled a tall, humanoid version of the small birds that had followed the first Not Lee onto the street. Its green feathers were slick with a sticky, viscous goop that had followed it from the robot's innards. Its yellow eyes bulged with what might have been terror, and it gasped for breath through a beak lined with serrated teeth. It continued to gasp and flop on the ground, its movements soon turning to jerks and spasms before eventually falling still.

"Did that thing just suffocate?" wondered Ruruko aloud. "Whoa. Dark."

The purple haired assassin dropped down and landed gracefully in the middle of the group. "Unfortunately," she said darkly. "That is the least of our worries."

More robots were flying in over the horizon, moving in a formation not dissimilar to that of migrating geese. Although this was made much funnier by the knowledge that they were piloted by anthropomorphic birds, it didn't change the fact that they were quickly getting to be more than their Persona could handle. Sitri and Nurikabe were working overtime to keep the attackers at bay, and while Puck and the assassins had a lot better odds of landing a lethal blow thanks to the floating platforms their numbers were still replenishing faster than they could be whittled down.

"They're wearing suits…" murmured Momo slowly. "Guys! Those birds are wearing suits!"

Sona gave her an odd look. "What?"

"That thing suffocated because it was exposed to air!" Momo insisted, eyes wide and voice cracking. "That means those things are suits they need to survive!" Sona just looked lost. "Suits! As in clothes!"

Finally, it clicked. "Sitri!" she shouted.

The leopard's eyes flashed. "Dress Break!"

In one beautiful motion the bizarre mech suits fell apart; sparks popping off them like toasters dropped into a bath, each part, bolt, nut and chunk of engine popped away from one another as though they were held in place by jam. The man birds looked comically shocked as the individual pieces of their suits fell around them before plummeting to the earth in turn.

Yes, they were flightless. Apparently they had more in common with ostriches than geese.

Nurikabe surrounded the survivors with every barrier imaginable as the wrecked machinery detonated noisily against the earth. The few birds that survived both the impact and the explosion flopped helplessly as they choked on the open air, the observers cringing away at the unsettlingly human reactions. After a long few minutes, everything went still.

"...Is that it?" asked Momo tentatively. "Are there any more?"

"Scout the area!" ordered Reya, and the Hundred Faces tore off across the rooftops. Puck zipped off after them and Sitri slumped tiredly at Sona's feet, while Nurikabe just sat glumly in the same spot it was summoned.

Eventually the assassins returned, kneeling in rows where they landed. "The surrounding area is-"

They were interrupted when Puck whooshed back in, sending up a huge dust cloud and making everyone cough. "We're good. Everything hostile must've hauled ass when they heard the explosions, so we should be fine so long as we stay put."

Sona let out an explosive sigh. "Oh, thank god!" She slumped to the ground, feet folding beneath her as she leaned against her Persona. Sitri purred comfortingly as she ran her fingers through his fur. The other three conscious student council members followed suit, as did the survivors.

There were about twelve of them still alive, not counting the Persona users. Who knew how many were dead. Sona closed her eyes and tried not to cry.

At last, a little peace and quiet.

The front of the restaurant they'd just been eating in exploded outwards, sending a black armored figure tumbling head over heels into the display window of the opposite building. Galahad slumped tiredly amidst the wreckage, cradling a groaning Tsubasa in his arms. He faded into motes of light, leaving her to pass out in the same way Tsubaki and Tomoe had when their own Persona were destroyed.

A figure stepped out from the shattered wall of the diner. He was wearing an immaculate white suit and hat untouched by the battle and bloodshed, and his glaring spotlight eyes seemed almost smug as they scanned the exhausted survivors.

"Just beat it."


	8. The Student Council vs the Moonwalker

"Oh god," croaked Ruruko, voice rising to a hysterical scream. "It's Robo Jackson!"

A random survivor - who hadn't been inside the restaurant when it was attacked - gave her an odd look. "What?"

"Attack!" shouted Sona. "Everyone attack now!"

Water beasts appeared out of thin air and lunged for the man in white. Puck and the assassins sprang into action as green platforms manifested for them to bounce off. The murder bot elegantly kicked with one slim leg, sending glittery shurikens flying towards Sitri's creations. Naturally they did nothing since they were made of water, instead floating harmlessly where the landed.

Small bubbles began to fizz from their surface, until the water creatures were white with froth. With an acrid smell they exploded, sending half dissolved shurikens and hot steam in all directions. Most of the assassins were ripped apart, though Puck avoided the shrapnel by hopping off Nurikabe's platforms. Robo Jackson leapt into the air as he approached, stylishly flinging on arm to the side and knocking out a Hashashin that tried to ambush him as he was airborne.

More shurikens flew out of his sleeve in the direction of Sona's gang, and though they bounced harmlessly off Nurikabe's walls they were soon followed by more; as more of the black clad warriors attacked him he began busting impromptu mid air dance moves to ward them off, flinging out more of the sparkly projectiles each time they did so.

"How is he doing this?" complained Momo, the strain on her Persona's concentration giving her a headache. "There was way more of the other robots and none of them managed to spread their attention this well!"

"Maybe it's a boss?" suggested Ruruko. Robo Jackson fought off the last of the Hundred Faces just as gravity caught up with him, engaging in a free falling kung fu duel with Puck on the way down. "If he's their leader then it makes sense that he'd have a more juiced up mech."

Sona's face went blank. "It's another bird robot, of course!" The sentence came out like a curse, as though she were punishing herself for taking so long to figure it out. "Sitri! Dress Break!"

The leopard spread his wings as his aura flared, and a crackle of electricity went over the murderous celebrity's skin. An electromagnetic pulse straight out of a video game exploded off his body, blasting poor Puck into the upper story of the building where Tsubasa still lay unconscious. There was a crunch as he landed, and though the ground cratered were he hit the earth he looked totally fine, white suit and all.

For a few moments they just stared, wasting precious seconds as he got his bearings. "It didn't work," croaked Sona, and when she spoke again her voice was several octaves higher. "Why didn't it work?"

"Cuz this is Thriller…" He began moving towards them, spinning like a top as he tore through Sitri's water beasts. He finished the move with a dramatic kick, knocking the Goetic Prince away with a yowl. Sona froze as the spotlight eyes locked onto her. "And nothing's gonna save you…" He raised one arm, a gleaming blade sliding out from his sleeve. "From the beast about to-"

"Strike!" roared Puck, crashing feet first into the side of Robo Jackson's face. He flipped end over end until his progress was halted by a parked car. "Your spell worked," explained Puck hurriedly. "But the only thing it dispelled was his forcefield. I felt it while we were fighting."

Sona caught on almost immediately. "If the forcefield is gone, can we eject the pilot?"

"'Fraid not," shrugged the Hobgoblin. "His forcefield is already back up. I felt it when I kicked him just now. Can you shoot one after the other?"

"Not anymore I can't," wheezed Sitri, and for the first time they noticed how hard he was panting. "Taking down his barriers took a lot more energy than I was expecting. I have one more, and that's it."

Sona bit her lip, considering her options. "Can you distract him while Sitri rests?"

The car was torn in half as Robo Jackson pulled himself free, the action taking no more effort than what was needed to rip a piece of tissue paper.

"I'll see what I can do," shrugged Puck, zipping off as Sitri faded out of existence.

Sona half expected him to square up to the murderoid and challenge him to single combat.

She expected wrong.

"Alright metal head!" shouted Puck provocatively. "Let's see who's the TRUE Lord of the Dance!"

He stopped when they were mere feet away. His spotlight eyes considered the Hobgoblin as if assessing his powers of groove. The white hat was carefully removed from his head and tossed to the side; blades sprouted from its rim in mid air, and it embedded in the side of a lamppost with an intimidating thunk.

Presumably, this was the equivalent to throwing down the gauntlet in the funk subculture.

The man in white and the boy in green stared each other down as the lamppost slowly toppled toward them; as the bulb shattered between them they blurred into action. It seemed halfway between dancing and kung fu, the two busting out increasingly ridiculous moves that were clearly intended as violent attacks on their opponent, which they always seemed to dodge at the last second.

"Come on, Puck!" shouted Ruruko encouragingly. "Show that tin can how Robin Goodfellow rolls!"

Momo gave her a look. "Robin who?"

"Robin Goodfellow," Ruruko explained. "It's an alternate name for Puck in Celtic folklore, and was eventually corrupted into the word Hobgoblin, which is basically where all goblin myths come from."

"I… How do you even know that?"

"I've been really into Shakespeare lately," she shrugged. "Fun fact: Shakespeare told the first recorded 'Yo Momma' joke."

The hat suddenly pulled itself from the broken stump, spinning towards the distracted Puck. He somersaulted through the air at the last possible moment, the buzzsaw passing harmlessly beneath him. Robo Jackson took advantage of the distraction, kicking him out of the air and sending him hurtling backward.

One of Nurikabe's walls appeared at the last second, catching him before he could hurt himself. The green material acted like a trampoline, stretching like elastic and bouncing him back as it snapped back into place. Robo Jackson was obviously unprepared for such a recovery, and could only pose with his leg still outstretched as Puck crashed into him; it was like all his dizzying speed was transferred on skin contact, the metal man blasted off his feet as Puck kicked off him, backflipped twice and landed neatly on the ground.

He turned his back as the robot crashed into a building for the second time in as many minutes, this time causing a massive explosion. "Outgrooved," he grinned, catching the bladed hat as it spun back toward him and placing it on his head as the blades retracted. "And outfunked."

"Did that do it?" wondered Momo. Reya mustn't have thought so, since her assassins were flanking her with weapons drawn.

"Well duh," snorted Puck. He adjusted his hat like one of those pretentious actors from old mafia movies, his face once more looking oddly punchable. "I mean, did you see that explosion?"

"It was pretty awesome," Ruruko allowed. "But it still seemed a bit too easy."

"Especially considering it was the most dangerous thing we've seen all day," Sona pointed out. "The big dog thing took more punishment than he did." Puck just rolled his eyes.

"Seriously now," said Ruruko, and her he took seriously. "I like your style and you're one of my favorite characters ever, Shakespeare or no. But if you don't know if he's dead and you're just riding an adrenaline rush or something then I'm warning you now, it _will_ break my heart."

"Don't…" Something began to rise from the wreckage, debris sloughing off as it trudged toward them. "Don't…" Smoke from the burning building began to gather in the sky above, swirling like a huge, dark halo. The immaculate white clothes had been burned away, revealing the gleaming chrome skin beneath. Glowing lines appeared on his face, splitting apart like a character from Sister Location to reveal the wiring beneath. "Don't go around breaking young girls' hearts."

A shrill noise ripped out, stabbing into their eardrums and shattering every window on the street. When the bulbs in the street lights went up they came with accompanying sparks, causing the Persona users to scream and back away. Puck and the Hundred Faces took up defensive positions around their masters, while Sitri appeared at Sona's side and a series of green barriers sprouted around Momo.

He tilted his head back and spread out his arms as gleaming silver armor flashed into existence over his torso, a circular medallion with what looked like a hazard symbol set over his stomach. Light spread like a film over his body, crystallizing as one metal plate after another until everything but his head was covered in a bulky suit evocative of space marines. His spotlight eyes fastened on the Persona users, and as he stepped forward the earth shook.

"Great," muttered Sona. "Just what we need."

Ruruko scowled and clipped Puck over the back of the head. "Double tap, you idiot!"

"Look," said Puck, keeping one hand on his new hat to prevent it from falling off. "I promise this isn't nearly as bad as it seems.

There was another teeth rattling tremor as Mecha Michael took another step.

"How so?" asked Sona sarcastically.

"Look at how slow he's moving," Puck pointed. "Big heavy robots only move that slowly when they work as moving artillery. So long as we stick close, we'll be fine. Here, watch."

He shot off toward the mech before anyone could stop him. The chrome giant reared back one arm, its fist wreathed in lightning. There was a burst of light as the two clashed, the giant remaining steady as Puck was blown backward. As he skidded to a halt the assassins leapt into action, hurling knives, darts and other projectiles at its joints. Panels on its arms and legs began to flip over, revealing glowing red nodes. Over the nodes appeared hexagonal disks of blue light, small force fields protecting it from danger. More appeared on its torso, until the robot was entirely contained in a sphere of blue light.

"Sitri!" barked Sona. "Use a water cutter! Aim for the gaps between panels!" Jets of pressurized liquid that could have cut through metal bounced of the barrier like pennies, deflected in different directions and almost hurting their allies if not for Nurikabe's protection.

Puck lunged back into the fight, bouncing once of a blue panel then unleashing a flurry of blows as he circled rapidly. "Puck!" shouted Ruruko. "Aim for his head! There's no armor there!" The Hobgoblin somersaulted vertically and landed upside down against one of Nurikabe's platforms, jumping off for a crushing blow against the barrier's peak that actually caused it to sink a little into the ground.

They must have been onto something, because the shield flickered briefly before Mecha Michael grabbed Puck by the leg, slamming him into the ground Bam Bam style before hurling him at the closest building. This was more than the structure could take, causing it to tumble to the ground with a massive cloud of debris. Puck must have lived, as Ruruko was still conscious.

"We need to move Tsubasa," said Sona quickly.

"Agreed," nodded Reya, sending a Hashashin to pull her to safety.

More panels began to slide back, revealing rows of small rockets. Puck dodged acrobatically as they fired straight at him, luckily lacking any form of homing system.. Parts of the scenery disappeared into ear ringing explosions as Nurikabe threw up as many barriers as he could. They were protected from the worst of it, but not the heat, the winds laced with rubble nor the ear crippling noise.

The flying chunks of assassin were particularly upsetting.

"Why is this even happening?" screamed Ruruko, crouching behind Momo's Persona as one blast after another sent her hair whipping around her face. "Since when is Michael Jackson a robot?"

"Since Moonwalker!" Momo shouted back, cringing as a missile detonated against her shield. "It was his only leading role besides This Is It! Which really shouldn't count, considering…"

Ruruko gave her a look. "...You're making that up."

The assassin that had helped release their Persona crouched by Reya's side and whispered in her ear. "Its feet!" she shouted suddenly. "Look at its feet!"

Sona looked. A familiar pattern had been melted into the pavement, centred around needles thrown as the other assassins had used themselves as cover. "Sitri! Dress Break, now!"

The array may have mitigated the cost but Sitri still slumped from exhaustion, the mech stumbling as its barrier shattered around it. "Puck!" screamed Ruruko frantically. "Quick, before he…" She trailed off when she saw what he was doing.

The Hobgoblin had grabbed the most expensive kind of car he could find under the chin and was dragging it away. "Booyah!" he roared, swinging it around and sending it spinning through the air toward the disoriented giant. With far more speed than a being of his bulk had any right to, Mecha Michael grabbed it out of the air. As his chrome fingers dug into the hood he used its momentum against it, spinning in a circle before letting go and sending it flying the way it came.

Puck barely had time to widen his eyes before it smacked into him, sending him yet again into the side of a building.

For a moment, Ruruko was speechless with indignation. "Puck… you… DONKEY!"

He turned his spotlight eyes on them, and they all froze. "Any bright ideas?" whispered Reya.

A huge figure fell out of the sky, slamming into the ground opposite. Its red and purple skin throbbed angrily, and its spiked fists clawed at the ground as if in anticipation. Sona glanced at Tsubaki; she was now awake and upright, her Persona standing next to her. "I don't know about you," she said dryly. "But I think 'summon the invincible killing machine' is generally a sound plan."

The Jabberwock gave an eerie, echoing roar before punching the chrome giant in the face, the impact making an incredibly satisfying noise. He evidently wasn't expecting to be slugged by a multi coloured monster, as Alice's monster managed a punishing combo while it was off guard; the mech staggered back as his armour dented with each punch, before finally punching its fist out of the way.

What followed resembled a super sized boxing match, as Mecha Michael and the Jabberwock jabbed and blocked with as much speed as their bulk would allow. As the earth began to rupture beneath their feet the mech attempted to charge his arm with electricity the way he had with Puck; the Jabberwock responded with the exact same move, purple lightning wreathing his fist as they clashed. There was an explosion of light as the two attacks met, sending both colossi skidding back.

The Jabberwock recovered first, dashing forward and grabbing him by his face. Mecha Michael found himself slammed into the side of an office building, carving a huge rent in the wall as he was dragged upward. When the Jabberwock reached the top (apparently capable of flight) it flung him forward before rearing back. One of Nurikabe's platforms appeared beneath its feet, allowing it to jump forward faster than the robot could fly.

When a second platform appeared in the mech's flight path the Jabberwock seized its chance, flying over his head and springing off it to land a punishing blow to the back of his head. Mecha Michael was jerked in the opposite direction and slammed into the ground, carving out a huge trench in the concrete.

When he hauled himself to his feet he was standing between the Jabberwock and the student council, the Persona users drawing back so as not to be caught in the mayhem. The giants charged one another and met in the middle, arms once more lighting up as they grappled.

The difference was when the expected flash happened it was the Jabberwock who looked disoriented.

"Oh crap," croaked Alice. Tsubaki gave her a sharp look.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"That charge broke his horns. Now Jabberwock won't receive anything I transmit."

"Does that mean you can't control it?"

"No. It means he can't regenerate."

The Jabberwock lunged forward, but found its fist stopped dead by the blue barrier. "Since when was that there?" demanded Ruruko.

"Since the first hit he landed on the purple guy," responded Sitri tiredly. "It's like the shield equivalent of a cockroach."

The Jabberwock grasped the bubble in its hands and squeezed it like a lemon. When all it did was burn its hands it began lashing out, striking furiously over and over in impotent fury. "Help him out!" barked Sona. "Everyone attack!"

Sitri, Puck (who had at last emerged from the rubble) and the remaining assassins threw everything they had at the barrier, trying to bring it down before the Jabberwock ran out of juice. Just as it started to falter it let out an almighty roar, bringing both fists crashing onto the weak spot at its peak. The whole thing shattered like glass, the huddling survivors cheering as Mecha Michael stumbled in shock. The Jabberwock still seemed out of sorts, but that didn't stop it from rearing back its fist to finish the job.

His back still to the humans, the robot glared with his spotlight eyes. Just before the spiked fist hit, he screamed.

The sound ripped through the air and made the fragile human listeners clutch their ears, falling to their knees as their eardrums screamed in agony. As they clutched their ears the Persona closest reacted by falling to the ground and coughing up blood, though this was nothing compared to what happened to the street in front of it. Glass shattered, the road shivered and spat chunks of itself into the air and anything metal started to melt.

The Jabberwock got the worst of it. Its skin bubbled and popped, gouts of rainbow colored blood shooting off in all directions. The poor creature clutched its head and roared, its only real eye exploding as its face started to literally sweat blood. It fell on its back and started to thrash and writhe, pieces of it breaking off in the violence. When the noise stopped it slumped in relief, a multicolored puddle forming around it. Slowly, torturously, it rose to its knees.

The chest of the murderoid slid open, revealing an ominous twin barreled cannon. With sound effects straight out of Star Trek blue plasma blasts fired at the Jabberwock, so hot the weapon had melted closed after only three shots. The Jabberwock staggered backward, remaining upright for a brief moment before tipping slowly onto its back. It whined pitifully, reaching weakly for the smoking wounds on its chest.

Contemptuously the mech stepped forward, earning a groan of pain as its right knee crunched beneath his foot. With his second step the Jabberwock's chest almost caved in, and with his third its head was pulverised to nothing. Slowly, almost apologetically, the creature dissolved into dust.

Alice swooned against Tsubaki's leg. "Alice?" she hissed. "Are you alright?"

"I… Yeah…" Alice watched sadly as the last motes of the Jabberwock's existence were blown away by the wind. "But I'm afraid it'll be awhile before I can bring him back."

They all froze as the chrome giant turned around. "Well," sighed Puck. "We're screwed."

"Maybe not," said Sona suddenly. "The Jabberwock dented him a few times while his shield was down, remember?"

Indeed, as Mecha Michael arduously turned himself around they could see an incredible amount of damage had been done to his abdominal plating. In fact, most of the slots he had fired rockets out of looked like they been bent shut.

"We can beat him," Sona insisted. "We just need a decisive blow while his guard is down."

"It's too late now," remarked Momo. "Not to be negative, but it's already back up."

"Urgh," groaned Tomoe, making everyone jump. "What… Ow… What happened?"

"Fantastic!" grinned Sona, gripping the younger girl by her shoulders. "And in our hour of need!"

"What?" blinked Tomoe, still half asleep. "What's going- Oh holy crap!" She pointed at the mech and backpedalled, almost pulling Sona over. "Is that the robot from Moonwalker?"

Momo shot a smug look at Ruruko, who just scoffed and said it proved nothing.

Sona ignored them. "Can you summon your Persona?"

Tomoe blinked, and Musashi phased back into existence. "Yo."

"Perfect," nodded Sona, and turned her attention to Reya. "Can you bring out the woman who made that array?"

"No, sorry," winced Reya. "One of the missiles got her as she was setting up the last one."

Sona took a moment to process this. "Then where is the last one?"

Reya pointed. The array of melted lines remained set into the ground a few feet beyond where the mech was standing.

"Musashi?" said Sona. "Can you fire off your trump card on command?"

"If I start charging it now it'll be even stronger," she nodded. "Why?"

"Start charging now," Sona ordered. "Sitri, get ready to use Dress Break."

Tsubaki, Tomoe, Alice and Musashi all gave her odd looks. "Dress what?"

"Never mind," she said hurriedly. "Everyone else, we need to push that thing back until it's in that circle."

"Do we have a plan?" asked Tsubaki.

"Yes," hedged Sona. "But it's one of those all or nothing last resort type plans."

"Awesome," grinned Ruruko. "Let's do it."

Musashi and Sitri began gathering magic as Alice summoned her Trump Men; the playing card soldiers marched on the giant with suicidal determination, Puck leading the charge as Nurikabe and the Hundred Faces offered support from the rear. Mecha Michael put up a great fight but had no permanent solution to the immortal legion. Any attempt he made to finish them off was thwarted by the interfering support fighters, while Puck focused on attacking his point of balance.

Slowly but surely the transformed musician was being forced backward, the array coming ever closer. One foot landed inside the circle.

The whole group held its breath.

Slowly, painfully slowly, the second foot joined it.

Sona gave Tomoe a curt nod. "Musashi!" she grinned. "Do your worst!"

"Namu," growled the samurai. "Come hither, my roaring sword." Within moments the four armed Asura was there, massive swords at the ready. "Ishana, Daitenshou!"

Sona tensed as the elemental swords crashed uselessly against the glowing shield. She counted the elements down as Sitri crouched next to her, wings spread as he gathered every scrap of magic he had. At last the Asura disappeared, replaced by the colossal white beam sword.

"Now!" barked Sona. "Dress Break now!"

The array glowed beneath Mecha Michael's feet, his face warping in shock as his barrier shattered. His face shone in the light of Musashi's sword.

"Six Realms Five Planes," she snarled. "Divine Figure of Kurikara, bitch!"

In a tremendous feat of guts the giant tried to catch the attack, but all that accomplished was ensuring his hands were the first thing to be vaporised. He was blown away like a leaf as it hit, disappearing under the surge of light and noise.

When the storm passed all they saw was a puddle of liquid metal, a skeletally thin figure lying in the centre.

Sona let out an explosive sigh and flopped tiredly to the ground. When Sitri slumped next to her she buried her face in his soft fur. "I need a nap."

"Should you really be doing that?" dithered Momo. Nurikabe let his walls down, and she immediately made him put them back up again. "This isn't the first time we thought we'd taken him down."

"He melted," Puck pointed out. For some reason, he was still wearing the white hat. "That usually equates to death."

"Oh really?" The biting sarcasm in her voice wasn't something they heard from her often. "Then why have all the other monsters we killed disappeared?"

The whole group went still. "Oh," croaked Ruruko. "That's… bad."

"Who's…"

All eyes turned to the pool of metal.

"Who's…"

The skeletal figure rose to its feet, the liquid metal floating in streams and bubbles around it. The pilot's feathers could be seen poking out in places where the inner exoskeleton had been breached.

"Who's bad?"

The figure began to float into the air, the liquid metal swirling around it like a cloak. By the time it was completely hidden the odd substance had begun to reshape itself. It had managed wings, a nose and spotlights before they realised what it was.

"A spaceship?" said Ruruko flatly. "The homicidal robot musician turns into a spaceship?"

"It did in Moonwalker," said Momo reasonably. "It makes sense."

"No! No it does not!"

"Don't worry," said the little girl, who she had actually forgotten about until that point. "I haven't seen it either."

Before Ruruko could mention that wasn't actually what she was annoyed about, Puck had tucked her under one arm and the child under the other before taking off at top speeds. Musashi had thrown Tomoe over her shoulder while Sitri had grabbed Sona by the scruff of her neck. Everyone else was being ferried away by assassins and Trump Men, the Persona fleeing in all directions.

The Moonwalker's engines thrummed as it turned in the air, light gathering at its tip. A blaze of light exploded from the ship's nose, melting a huge rent in the ground that would have annihilated them had their Persona not dragged them to safety.

"Holy crap!" screamed Tomoe, after they had taken cover behind a sturdy looking heap of rubble. "What was that? What the HELL was that? Is it supposed to do that?"

"Yes, actually," admitted Momo. "It's how he killed the main villain."

Sona ignored them, frowning thoughtfully. "Are we forgetting something?" Next to her, Tsubaki's face went pale.

"Could that be it?"

Saji was lying in the middle of the road; by some miracle, the Moonwalker had missed him in its first attack. He slowly blinked awake, sitting up and rubbing his face where Sona had punched him.

"Ugh… What… the…"

The ship had turned to face him and was already charging another blast. At the last possible second Puck zipped past, the beam missing Saji by inches as he was pulled away.

"Ow!" complained Saji, head cracking against something hard as he was shoved under cover. "What was…" He trailed off as he noticed Puck standing over him. "Are you a Persona?"

"Why yes I am," grinned Puck, gearing up for a flamboyant bow. "I am the magnificent-"

"Puck, right?" The Hobgoblin blinked, caught slightly off guard. "From A Midsummer Night's Dream?"

"I… Yes. How did you…"

"I am such a fan!" gushed Saji, clutching his hand and shaking it excitedly. "I love your play! Shakespeare in general, but yours in particular!"

"Ah," nodded Reya sagely. "So that's why you got into it."

Ruruko turned pink, but didn't grace her with an answer.

"So why're we hiding- Whoa!" Saji ducked as a beam of energy shot overhead, annihilating what was left of their favourite restaurant. "Was that a spaceship?"

"Yep," nodded Tomoe gravely. "Robo Jackson was a Transformer, apparently."

"Like in Moonwalker?"

"Oh come on!"

"We're pinned down," said Sona, trying desperately to keep the discussion on track. "He has too much firepower for us to get past, at least without the Jabberwock."

"I see," Saji murmured, glancing between Puck and Nurikabe. "So does everyone have a Persona now?"

"Everyone but you, yes."

"Seriously?" sighed Saji. "How long was I asleep? What knocked me out anyway?"

"A piece of rubble," said Sona quickly. "It was sent flying by… by the monsters. It was an accident. Just… an accident."

"Unlucky," he sighed regretfully. "How did you bring your Persona out anyway? Any tips?"

"I don't know about the others," said Ruruko. "But ours were brought out by the boss."

Saji immediately perked up. "Really? How?"

"It's called Dress Break."

"Why call it that?"

"No reason," said Sona quickly. "We can't use it now anyway. The arrays were destroyed and we have no way to make more."

Saji noticed the random noun. "What's an array?"

"It's a magic circle that enhances spells," supplied Reya. "One of the Hundred Faces made them, but she was killed by the giant robot."

"So we could make them ourselves?" At their confused looks, Saji elaborated. "If we knew the pattern, I mean. Couldn't we just make them ourselves?"

Sona blinked. Despite herself, she liked the idea. "We… could, I suppose. But they're very complicated. It would be impossible to pull off if we couldn't remember exactly."

"I remember."

Everyone jumped, and not because of the plasma cannon still randomly blowing up bits of scenery. "Nurikabe?" hissed Momo. "You can talk?"

"Language is the vehicle of despair," he droned miserably. "To speak is to invite pain unto oneself, and unto others, and unto all who understand the spoken word."

"Kickass!" grinned Puck. "Now we just need to copy it down and we have a new fighter fresh and ready!"

"Bear in mind," said Tsubaki. "That he has no hands. He's going to have to dictate for us."

A green wall appeared out of nowhere, a perfect reproduction of the Dress Break array marked on its side.

"Wow," marvelled Sona. She looked at her Persona curiously. "Will that work?"

"Maybe," Sitri shrugged. "I don't know if you have to stand on it or not."

The wall tipped backward with a depressing thunk, array facing upward. Puck gave Saji a friendly pat on the back. "All you buddy."

Saji nervously inched into the circle, remaining crouched so the Moonwalker didn't catch sight of him. Sona gave her Persona a curt nod, and the leopard spread his wings. "Dress Break."

 **(I am thou.)**

Like a geyser going off, each individual line of the array erupted with black miasma. The student council was blown back as the cloud filled the street, and even the Moonwalker lost its bearings in the blast. Saji closed his eyes as they started to sting, a noxious smell spilling up around him; some of the smoke wrapped around his right wrist, taking the shape of a black, lizard like bracelet with purple jewels for eyes.

 **(Thou art I.)**

The bracelet disappeared, the jewels floating into the air and glowing like demonic eyes. The miasma that had scattered around the street was sucked back in, enveloping them like a cocoon. The Moonwalker regained control of itself, slowly rotating in the direction of the new challenger.

 **(From the sea of thy soul, I cometh.)**

The smog began to twist into a serpentine new shape, the jewels remaining where the head should be. Tendrils of light sprang from its back like wings and its skin morphed from smoke into black scales, its body surrounded by purple light. The jewels had changed entirely into reptilian eyes, with a third sprouting from the flesh between them.

 **(I am Vritra, the Black Dragon King.)**

As the Moonwalker finally faced the dragon its tip began to glow, the plasma cannon firing at his head. A dome of translucent black light stopped it in its tracks, sparks skittering inches from the dragon's face. Vritra glared contemptuously.

 **(Delete Field.)**

Vritra shifted his coils, the dome expanding around him and pushing the beam back; when the spaceship itself was within the barrier the cannon puttered out and died. The Moonwalker's lights flickered, as if communicating its confusion. The tendrils on the dragon's back withdrew for a moment before suddenly flashing out like a frog's tongue.

 **(Absorption Line.)**

The tentacles burrowed into the Moonwalker's hull and began to pulsate, as though sucking something from its insides. As the lights started to shut down and its chrome plating started to lose its shine, the ship began accelerating for the sky. The tentacles strained to keep it in place, but one by one they were starting to snap and come away. Some of them spilled an oily substance from their severed ends, while others simply gushed blinding light.

"It's escaping!" barked Sona. "Kill it now! Don't let it bring back reinforcements!"

"Vritra!" screamed Saji. "Bring it down!" The Dragon King's eyes glowed as his tentacles regenerated, their tips burrowing in the ground.

 **(Shadow Prison.)**

Pillars of black fire erupted from the concrete, the tendrils pulsing as they visibly pumped the stuff into the ground. The flames wrapped around the Moonwalker like a blanket, dragging it slowly to the ground. A wailing noise emanated from its engines, resembling the noise that had crippled the Jabberwock. Vritra floated higher into the air, looked down at it coldly and opened his mouth.

 **(Blaze Black Flare.)**

The screaming became noticeably high pitched as the ship was engulfed in the flame. The black fire that poured from Vritra's mouth was noticeably more violent than the one produced by his last technique; it resembled napalm, sticking to the hull like glue and eating away at it like termites on wood. Part of the outer plating reverted to liquid and began swirling about as though trying to put them out, but whatever it did the flames stuck to it like it was cursed.

Slowly, deliciously, it started to fall.

"Yes!" cheered Saji, hopping in place and punching the air. "Booyah!" Ruruko had seized the opportunity to hug him, while Momo was looking between him and the crashing ship with her jaw working in silent disbelief.

"We won!" squealed Reya, high fiving a likewise squealing Tomoe. "We won!"

Sona and Tsubaki exchanged a look. With a quiet smile, they relaxed.

 **(I wouldn't be so sure,)** growled Vritra, his eyes on the defeated Moonwalker. His remaining tentacles were pulling away with their tips burnt, while the ship core was slowly starting to glow. **(The machine is preparing to self destruct.)**

"What?" blinked Ruruko, shock quickly giving way to panic. "That's… What do we do? What do we do!"

"Nurikabe!" commanded Momo. "Block the-"

 **(I'm afraid it'll take more than a depressed brick wall to stop this.)**

"Alas, I have failed before I have even begun. Unable to attack, and now unable to defend."

 **(That's going to get annoying quickly.)**

"There has to be something we can do," panicked Sona. "We just need to think and-"

 **(Oh relax,)** snorted Vritra. **(We are in no danger. That right there? Not worth worrying about.)**

Saji gave his Persona a confused look. "What do you mean?" With a sound like someone drinking a slushie through a straw, Vritra disappeared into his shadow. A single sentence was left in his wake.

 **(Just ask Mister Perfect over there.)**

Sona turned away from the falling warhead and stared at Saji as if he was the cryptic one. "What?"

A familiar voice echoed out through the air.

"Galahad!"

A figure in black armour leapt over their heads, the road cratering beneath his feet as he landed; in his hand was his massive, cross shaped shield, placed firmly between them and the Moonwalker.

"Lord Camelot!" He barked.

A glowing blue wheel appeared in front of his shield, the sort that was used to steer a ship. Immense stone walls sprang from the ground, towering around them and hiding what meagre sunlight was left. Behind them appeared a gleaming castle, a sight so magnificent it couldn't be anything but the seat of King Arthur himself.

Speaking of which, by this point he was already up and kicking. But that's a story for another time.

They felt and heard the explosion before they saw it. The ground trembled, there was an incredible noise and a gout of blue flame could be seen over the castle wall, but that was it.

The castle disappeared as Galahad turned to face them. "That's Sir Perfect, thank you."

A derisive snort came from Saji's shadow in response. **(Whatever you say, snow cone. Come back when you've hit puberty.)**

Galahad's eyes flashed. "How about you say that to my face, lizard?"

 **(How about you suck my scaly dragon balls?)**

"Vritra, shush!" hissed Saji. He gave Tsubasa an apologetic look as she came over, fully conscious at last. "I'm sorry about him. There's really no excuse."

"It's cool," she grinned, hugging and fistbumping the other members. "So, turns out I wasn't imagining things. You have no idea how good it feels to know you're sane."

"There's a monster apocalypse going on," Tsubaki pointed out. "Is that really a good thing?"

"For me it is. I may start panicking later, but for now… I…" She looked at Puck and cocked her head. "Are you… wearing Michael Jackson's hat?"

"I am!" he grinned, tipping it at a rakish angle. It was odd for a man in a leaf tunic, but it suited him. In an avant-garde sort of way, but still.

Tsubasa shook her head and turned to Sona. "So, does everyone have a Persona now?"

"Everyone," nodded Sona. "Saji got his just before you woke up."

"And it was the coolest yet!" gushed Ruruko. Next to her, Saji turned an amusing shade of pink.

 **(You can actually hear his ego swelling.)**

"Be quiet," said Saji. "Don't ruin this for me."

"I hate to be a killjoy," Tsubaki interjected. "But should we really be celebrating? Everytime we thought we'd won so far something new showed up."

"So?" snorted Puck, suddenly looking very punchable again. "We've thrashed everything that came at us and now we have the Black Dragon King and the Perfect Knight in our corner. Seriously, just look at them!"

"Yeah," grinned Musashi dreamily. "Look at him." Galahad shivered under her gaze and edged behind Nurikabe, who made a forlorn comment about not having a penis.

"But seriously now," Puck continued, and Ruruko suddenly realised what he was about to say. He either ignored or didn't notice her frantic gestures to shut up. "What could possibly go wrong?"

An upper floor of a nearby building exploded, sending bits of rubble flying across the street.

"Jesus christ!" cursed Tsubasa, backpedalling desperately as Galahad took up position in front of her.

"Dammit Puck!" shouted Ruruko angrily. "Everytime!"

Black miasma was creeping up Saji's arms as a dark figure jumped down from the crater in the wall, a shorter figure stepping away and coughing through the haze of dust.

Saji's Persona froze mid summon as he processed what he was seeing.

"Don't I know you?"

The young man was about his age, but shorter and skinnier with brown hair and glasses. His name was Motohama, and he was one of the Three Idiots of their school. "Who's asking?" He squinted at them for a moment before reacting with the same expression Saji had when he recognised him. "Wait, aren't you the student council?" He looked over Galahad, Musashi and particularly Alice thoughtfully. "So all of you are…"

The tall man that carried him on the way down was good looking and wearing odd clothes; he was almost certainly Motohama's Persona. Over his shoulder was slung an unconscious young man with a fit physique and a shaved head, who Saji recognised as Motohama's closest friend Matsuda.

"We should run," Motohama said quietly. "All of us. Right now."

"Why?" frowned Sona. "Is something chasing you?"

"Yes, now can we please-"

"There's eight of us," remarked Tsubasa, who was evidently feeling cocky. "Nine including you and ten with sleepy head over there. We should just flatten the thing!"

 **(Seconded!)**

"No!" hissed Motohama. "You don't under-"

The pavement ruptured as something hit the ground behind him, sending up a second annoying dust cloud. Motohama froze, then slumped his shoulders in defeat.

"Ah, crap."

The figure that stepped from the smog was ridiculously tall and buff, with arms thicker than some torsos and a chest that could block bullets. His short hair and square jaw immediately reminded them of a movie they had all seen, and his black leather jacket was clearly taken from the same film.

His eyes glowed red.

"Uh oh," croaked Saji.

The man took a pair of sunglasses from his pocket. Slowly, calmly, he placed them on his face.

"I'm back."


End file.
